Bookmark and
visit VenueChooser.com to
locate hotels meeting space and training facilities and other event venues quick and easy using our
quick link state links to narrow your search.

Click any state to view a
list of cities then click a city to view a full list of hotels with meeting
space and also find training facilities and conference centers to hold your next
conference meeting training event seminar or workshop.

VenueChooser.com an Internet based meeting space and lodging
directory has announced that it has partnered with
FindaSeminar.com to offer a calendar of upcoming seminars by
venue.

Business professionals that travel frequently can now search and
find hotels in their destination city that may be offering one
day seminars thath they can attend to earn ceu or cle credits as
well as get the education that they need to stay current in
their profession and industry.

According to Scott Alliy President of Allied Internet Solutions
Inc. The partnership between VenueChooser.com and
FindaSeminar.com strengthens both websited in terms of the value
that they provide Internet users who can now search find and
register for seminars and training classes easier than ever.

Scott reminds professionals that there is no cost for them to
use Veneuchooser.com and or FindaSeminar.com since the sites are
fee paid by the clients that own the venues and or conduct the
training classes.

And he adds "FindaSeminar.com and Venuechooser.com are designed
for ease of use and navigation saving busy professionals
precious time while at the same time giving them the selection
of services and results that they need in one convenient
location".

About Us: Allied Internet Solutions Inc. is a Houston based
consulting firm that owns and operates over 400 Internet
properties including FindaSeminar.com, eTrainingProducts.com,
AddPR.com and DomainsAvailableNow.com. AIS offers a free
consultation to small and medium businesses in need of web
design or development or Internet marketing services

New
listings includes fall seminars and training
courses offered by national seminar providers

FindaSeminar.com the worlds largest training
snd seminar search engine announced that it has
just added thousands of new seminar dates and
locations.

According to Scott Alliy President of Allied
Internet Solutions a Houston based Internet
consulting firm and creator of Find a
Seminar.com, Seminar brochures .com Venue
chooser.com and Add PR.com "The new seminars
listed by National Seminar Group Padgett
Thompson Skillpath American Management
Association Lorman Education Fred Pryor Career
track Cornell ILR and more provide increased
value to training seekers searching for seminars
in the U.S. and Canada and solidify our position
as the worlds largest training and seminar
search engine".

Scott reminds seminar seekers that
FindaSeminar.com now lists over 150000 seminars
held by over 250 national seminar and training
providers in the U.S. and Canada.

He also adds "We provide unique seminar
marketing services to training providers by
offering seminar marketing on a pay for
performance basis".

Allied Internet Solutions Inc. has also recently
announced the expansion of their seminar
marketing services with the addition of Seminar
brochures .com to its growing list of seminar
marketing and training search related websites.

About Us: Find a seminar.com and Seminar
brochures .com are owned and operated by Allied
Internet Solutions Inc. a Houston based Internet
consulting firm specializing in niche market
directories that serve the training seminar and
events industry and other industries byt
providing seminar search tools and seminar
marketing services as well as internet marketing
services including website design and
development.

Training seminar workshop and conference and
teleconference providers tradeshow exhibitors and providers of
online training seminars can save 50% on brochure listings for a
limited time.

SeminarBrochures.com is offering half off pricing on seminar brochure
listings to increase awareness of its new seminar marketing tool.

Scott Alliy creator of FindaSeminar.com and VenueChooser.com recently
created SeminarBrochures.com the newest Internet marketing tool for the
training seminar and events industry.

According to Scott "SeminarBrochures.com will help you increase attendance
by allowing you to attract target audience of event attendees who can help
themselves to your event information brochure anytime day or night."

Says Scott "SeminarBrochures.com is a great marketing tool for Seminars of
course but will also benefit your company if you provide any kind of
publictraining, tradeshows, conferences, workshops, webinars and more."

Consumers have become more savvy according to Scott and have less time or
desire to be diluged with unrequested direct mail and or email. The days
of push marketing as in door-to-door sales are passe. Instead says Scott
"Consumers want the power to make their own decisions, the information to
make good decisions, and most important to do so on their own time which
the internet allows them to do."

Scott who has dedicated a good portion of his energies to seminar
marketing and event promotion believes that online brochures are the wave
of the future and that their use and popularity as a marketing tool will
soon explode given the rates in direct mail postage which is sure to occur
due to the rising price of fuel and other economic factors.

Scott's research has proven also that consumers want centralized access to
like information to allow them to shop and compare. Large wholseale stores
have known this for years and continue to gain in sales and popularity as
a result of their one-stop-shopping business model.

For more information about SeminarBrochures.com and or to list your
brochures please visit http://www.SeminarBrochures.com

About Us: Internet Solutions Inc. is a Houston based consulting firm
that owns and operates over 400 Internet properties including
FindaSeminar.com, eTrainingProducts.com, AddPR.com and
DomainsAvailableNow.com. AIS specializes in Internet marketing and offers
a free consultation to small and medium businesses in need of web design
or development or Internet marketing services

Allow time for set-up and
rehearsal and allow time between sessions to re-set meeting
rooms. Book all meeting rooms in 24 hour time blocks. Verify
when presenters will arrive and if they need rehearsal time
before their scheduled start time.

1. Seating Plan. Are the tables
and chairs arranged in the correct manner for the meeting
format? Is the size of the room adequate for the number of
people who will be in attendance? Are there removable walls and
is the room sound proof from adjacent rooms and the foyer?
Movable walls are not usually soundproof. A soundproof solution
is to run two parallel air walls to create a narrow corridor
between them

2. Location of additional
chairs. Check that extra chairs are available and easily
accessible.

3. Room Temperature Locate the
room climate controls (air conditioning/heating). Start with the
room cooler than usual, the room will warm-up with more people
in the space and once the doors are closed.

4. Teleprompter, translation
equipment and Audio-Visual Make sure that all of the equipment
needed for the meeting is on-site and ready to go.( Hand-held
microphone with stand, lavaliere microphones, white board with
markers or projector and screen with laser pointer)

Check power capability and
power outlets. Are electrical outlets available for plugging in
laptop computers? Is there telephone connectivity and is it
needed? Internet connectivity? Wireless facility?

5. Podium with light and riser.
Check to make sure that these items are available if requested
by the speaker or facilitator.

Careful planning makes for
flawless execution and a chance for attendees to get the most
out of the sessions they attend.

About the author: A desire to
creatively express myself in the world is what drives me. A wish
to provide a service that is of value to others is at the
foundation of my business. Pursuits directly related to
improving the quality of our lives on this planet are of keen
interest to me. I have a background in the entertainment
industry and came to the US to study at Brooks Institute of
Photography, Santa Barbara, from where I graduated in 1988.

Hire a Motivational Humorous Speaker And Laugh Your Way To A
More Successful Event

Most meetings are dull, lack
direction and are devoid of humor and motivation. If you want to
add more laughter to your next meeting or event, hire a
professional motivational humorous speaker. A recent survey
conducted by The National Association of Meeting Professionals
states: “70% of respondents admitted that less than half
of the meetings they've attended in the last six months were
worthwhile; survey data suggests that 44% would like to have
faster meetings. In addition:

Nearly 80% of those surveyed
found team meetings to be useful for getting and sharing the
information they need

7 in 10 workers want
meetings that are better organized

80% believe they would be good
at planning and executing an enjoyable and productive meeting

While workers value effective
meetings, they would do just about anything to get out of
attending an ineffective one. When asked what they would prefer
to do instead of sitting through a boring meeting:

54% of those polled said
they would rather mow the lawn

41% said they would rather
wash the kitchen floor

25% said they would prefer a
trip to the dentist”

There is no sense in going
through the time, expense and work effort of planning and
executing a meeting where the attendees feel it is a waste of
time. This is where hiring a professional motivational humorous
speaker can help to ensure that the meeting is fun, there is a
good dose of laughter and your learning objectives have been
achieved. It’s no wonder meetings are boring, unproductive and
expensive. By hiring a professional motivational humorous
speaker for your next event you can add laughter, increase
productivity and make a memorable event for your management
team!

Doug Dvorak is the CEO of DMG
Inc., a worldwide organization that assists clients with
productivity training, corporate humor and workshops, as well as
other aspects of sales and marketing management. Mr. Dvorak's
clients are characterized as Fortune 1000 companies, small to
medium businesses, civic organizations and service businesses.
Mr. Dvorak has earned an international reputation for his
powerful educational methods and motivational techniques, as
well as his experience in all levels of business, corporate
education and success training.
http://www.dougdvorak.com

Theater-style seating consists
of several rows of chairs facing the front of the room. This
arrangement works best for formal presentations, where
participants are focused on the presenter. Because there are no
tables, this arrangement isn't conducive to taking notes or
working on a laptop. Because participants can't easily take
notes in a theater-style arrangement, you should make the
presentation available to attendees in written or electronic
format.

This style is one of the best
for large groups, but it should also be noted that some people
are uncomfortable without a desk or table in front of them.

Classroom Style

A classroom-style setup uses
long, narrow tables placed in front of rows of chairs - all
facing the speaker. This setup is ideal for formal presentations
in front of medium-sized to large groups where the audience is
expected to take notes. Using the tables, participants can write
notes, work on their laptops or use PDAs. Surge protectors and
extension cords should be strategically placed so that they are
available to everyone, but not in the way. The presenter can use
either a screen or an interactive whiteboard with his computer.

Banquet Style

A banquet-style setup consists
of several tables scattered throughout the room. This setup is
perfect for small breakout sessions or collaborative work
groups. You shouldn't use this style for very large groups or
seminars where speakers or presenters will be setup at the front
of the room. Smaller groups usually work best with this style of
room.

U-Shape Style

A U-shaped arrangement is ideal
if participants need to see the front of the room and work in
small groups. Because this style is conducive to both formal
presentations and collaborative work, it combines the best of
both worlds. Meeting or seminar participants can comfortably
watch presentations in the front of the room, while still
maintaining contact with the people around them.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best
Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent
Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning
Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success
Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful
Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips
Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at
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http://promotingtips.com

So let’s look at the details necessary for planning a
successful conference.

The Right Time

What may be the perfect time for you may not be the perfect
time for your attendees or the city/hotel you want to use.
Plan and coordinate a time that would be suitable to all. You
can’t please everyone in this, but it is best to schedule it
around the important attendees and speakers.

Avoid any holidays or important events during the time that
may affect attendance such as religious holidays and other
industry-related events.

The Right Location

The right location, with the necessary facilities, is the key
in making an event attractive to potential attendees. It’s
best to hold conferences in a cosmopolitan city, which is also
a business hub.

The city's convention and visitor’s bureau (CVB) Web site will
provide you information about other conventions, meetings or
sporting events taking place during the same time. The local
CVB also can assist you in finding the right hotel for your
event. They will send your lead out to all their member hotels
so you don't have to contact each individually. Be sure to
identify what type of hotel property you are interested in
i.e., four-star, close to the airport etc. Make sure there are
plenty of travel options by air, train or road.

The Right Hotel

The right hotel is pivotal to the success of your conference;
make sure the hotel has all amenities that might be important
to your conference needs.

The hotel must have, fully geared Business Centers with state
of the art facilities coupled with boardroom and meeting
rooms. A multi function room to cater to meetings, theatre
style seminars and promotions and exhibitions, is important,
and of course, sit down dinners and lunches with full and
latest audio + video conferencing facilities.

Find out what food and beverage venues the hotel offers or are
within walking distance, especially if you are not providing
breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.

The Right Equipment

Most hotels have an audio/visual department, and this
department also controls the sound. But they also service
other groups in the hotel as well. Consider arranging for a
technician to be in your conference room at all times.

If your presentation is on a
computer, make sure you back-up your presentation to a jump
drive. Podium microphones and wired lavaliere microphones are
the least expensive. Make sure your video devices are setup
for maximum exposure.

Pre event checks

Two weeks prior to your event, send your specifications to
your hotel, include: date, time, set-time, rehearsal times,
room set-ups, microphone and audio/visual requirements, and
any special needs you may have.

If you are planning to host
corporate and association meetings, conferences, training
sessions, seminars, sales and marketing presentations, product
launch event and other special events, then executive
conference centers are the right choice.

With award-winning facilities,
executive conference centers provide elegant and efficient
meeting space to accommodate small to large size meetings.
These days, executive conference centers are gaining more
popularity among the business community. To make your
executive meeting a total success, executive conference
centers provide you with a professional business environment
that is conducive to corporate meetings.

Wireless high-speed internet
access, printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines are also
provided in executive conference centers. Apart from the above
facilities, they provide professional on-site conference
service staff to provide assistance in meeting or event
planning.

To make your business meeting
a memorable experience, executive conference centers provide
leisure time facilities such as fitness center, gym, athletic
clubs, swimming pool; exquisite dining options, and beverages.
In short, everything you need ranging from productive meeting
rooms to a comfortable guest room is available with executive
conference centers.

Executive conference centers
that are conveniently located close to popular attractions and
shopping areas are more favored by business people. Some of
the best executive conference center options are AMA?s
executive conference centers at New York, Atlanta, Chicago,
San Francisco, and Washington, DC; St. Louis Executive
Conference Center, Davidson Executive Conference Center,
Babson Executive Conference Center, and R. David Thomas
Executive Conference Center. To take advantage of excellent
meeting facilities, one can book these conference centers
either online or by contacting over the phone.

Macromedia's Breeze Meeting is
one of the premier entries in the web conferencing software
arena. This article is one in a series that describe the
features of the major web conferencing software products that
are on the market today.

Let me say at the outset that
the functionality and features of Breeze are much too
plentiful to be completely described here, and I'll cover only
some of the Breeze Meeting features to try and give you a
sense of what you can accomplish with the package.

Meeting Rooms

A Breeze "meeting room", your
virtual meeting place, is persistent, which is a fancy way of
saying that the content of your meeting - notes,
presentations, and chat contents are automatically saved for
you. Meeting rooms can have a custom layout defined that is
also automatically saved. By the way, Mac users, Breeze
supports OS X 10.2 and 10.3.

Application and Desktop
Sharing and Remote Control

Any web conferencing software
worthy of the name includes the ability for the presenter to
share applications on his/her desktop with the other
participants in the meeting. One very powerful use of this
technology is remote software installation. I described in an
earlier article in this series the process of receiving an
application software upgrade using conferencing software. The
latest release of Breeze includes improved desktop sharing
that allows shared presentations to be viewed in full-screen
mode by the participants. In addition, the presenter (the
meeting controller) has the option to synchronize all the
participant's screens. The remote control facilities of the
product now support full screen mode also. If you're not
familiar with it, remote control actually let's one
participant control the desktop of another - the first time I
watched the mouse pointer on my screen under the control of
someone else, it seemed a bit eerie, but I quickly adjusted -
its a very powerful facility.

Attendee Management

If you're holding an online
meeting of any sort, wouldn't you want to be able to track who
is/isn't there and to know if they're connected properly?
Breeze provides the ability for the presenter to see who is in
the meeting and their connection status. If the purpose of
your gathering is training, attendance is taken for you!

Audio Conference Call Control

One way web conferencing
software products provide the audio portion of the meeting is
through a telephone conference call. Breeze now incorporates
the ability to control an external conference call from within
the application. You can dial out to meeting participants,
control the mute/unmute function (in case someone gets a
little too verbal), even eject participants if necessary (the
overly verbal guy!). In addition, the controls to record the
meeting are part of the interface.

Microsoft Outlook Integration

Breeze is now integrated with
Microsoft Outlook. Anyone working in an office environment
(and overwhelmed with meetings) will appreciate the
convenience of this feature. You can schedule Breeze meetings
and invite attendees right in the familiar Outlook
environment. Users can even join a Breeze meeting right from
their Outlook calendar.

Multi-point Video

The one aspect of a real
meeting that web conferencing often doesn't provide is the
visual presence of the participants. Breeze now features
improved multi-point video - meaning that multiple users can
be supported with video input from webcams. I suspect it won't
be long before video input becomes a more common aspect of all
web conferences.

Whiteboarding, participant
polling, participant permissions, and moderated Q&A sessions
are some of the other Breeze features that can't be covered
here.

The last very interesting bit
about Breeze is that it runs under Flash, which is already
installed on most computers, which means they can all access
Breeze Meetings without installing any additional software.

You're sitting in a room full of
eager business owners at a networking event. One by one,
everyone stands up and introduces themselves, hopefully
gaining the opportunity to find one or two new prospects in
the crowd.

Unfortunately, most business people stink at Introductions.

Take for instance the remarks
made at a recent event I attended. A hotel sales rep
introduced himself and stated that his hotel offered beds,
meals and meeting rooms. Oh really? How many hundreds of
hotels offer that, I thought. What he said was essentially the
same introduction used by all the hotel sales people in the
room that day.

What if one of them had said
something like this?

"Hi, my name is Bob, sales
manager with Big City Hotel. Sure, we have meals and beds and
meeting rooms like all the other hotels. But they don't have
Ruth, our front desk supervisor who's been serving our guests
for more than 22 years. Her only responsibility is to help you
have an extraordinary stay at our hotel."

Which hotel has the best
chance to get your business? The one with meals, and beds and
rooms, or the one with all that, plus a great staff.

And Bob can strengthen his
relationship with his audience at the next meeting. What
happens if he brings Ruth with him and lets her introduce
herself during the Introductions? Talk about making an
impression on the crowd! By the time the meeting is over,
everyone there will be best friends with Ruth.

As good as that is, Bob isn't
done yet. He can make a bigger value statement at the next
meeting. This time Bob quickly introduces himself and then
plays a short recording:

"Hi, this is Tom, sales
director at XYZ Company. We had our annual sales meeting at
Big City Hotel a few months ago and it was the best we've ever
had. Ruth and her staff waited on our people and took care of
everything we needed. She was fantastic."

Now that's an Introduction.
So the next time you're attending a networking event, can you
introduce your value to your audience when you introduce
yourself? What is a benefit you can highlight that none of
your competitors can claim? What is it you do better than
everyone else?

That's the best place to
start.

Larry Baltz runs a company
called More Sales – More Profits. He works with small
business owners who want to get more clients and sell
more products and services. Larry is a Certified
Guerrilla Marketing Coach and small business marketing
expert. For his free report, “Knock-Their-Socks-Off”
Promotion and Marketing, go to
http://www.moresales-moreprofits.com for your copy.

Hotel Meeting Venues Offer First-Class
Organisational Assistance

If you're in the process of
organising a large function - whether it's a corporate
meeting, an extended family reunion or a blow-out wedding -
you'll likely find yourself under a lot of stress. From
booking the event location to making sure that all the
necessary attendees are notified, event planners and co-ordinators
are bound to have a lot on their plate at any given time in
the planning process. That is why it's essential for event
planners to seek help from a trusted expert that will help
them cover all the bases.

Many event and meeting locations
- such as hotels or conference centres - offer detailed help
and comprehensive support if you book with them. Through
direct booking or online booking, the best event locations
will offer first-class event planning services, including a
Guest List manager, the ability to book multiple group
reservations at one time and the opportunity to view floor
plans online in order to create the perfect seating setup for
your guests.

Some hotels that offer event
planning help, such as Hilton Embassy Suites, even offer the
opportunity to create a personalized online group web page
with a unique web address, so that your guests or meeting
attendants will be able to book their own guest rooms. For
example, if you're planning a wedding, creating your own
wedding website could work wonders during the planning
process. Your guests will have the option to RSVP online, book
rooms in the hotel in which your wedding is being held and
view your wedding gift list online as well.

If it's a business meeting
you're planning, then many
hotel meeting venues will help you determine how to divide
your budget between meeting space, food and beverages, guest
rooms (if necessary) and any audio or visual rental equipment
you might need. What's more, you'll find detailed advice on
how to plan daily schedules, should your conference carry on
for more than one day. If you're trying to plan a large social
gathering of friends, then meeting venues will even help you
compile a list of what you require for your function: for
instance, whether or not you'll need a dance floor or a stage.

Whatever type of event or
meeting you're planning in a hotel meeting venue, make
effective use of the checklists and organisational services
available to you. This will not only ensure that your event
gets off to a roaring start, but will also take some of the
pressure of your own shoulders.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist who
travels extensively.

Dispel Thoughts
of Meeting Mishaps with Hotel Event Planning

Planning a meeting, corporate
event or conference can be a trying task - particularly if you
expect the event to be a large one. But before you despair
over thoughts of potential meeting mishaps, remember that
there is help at hand.

There are a number of comprehensive resources to which you can
turn when planning a meeting or event - from extensive
checklists to professional event planners. And whether you're
a practiced corporate event planner or are about to embark on
your first ever event-planning effort, it's always essential
to make full use of these resources.

One of your most significant
event planning resources will likely be the venue at which you
choose to hold your event. That's because event venues are
usually equipped with a range of internal event services and
facilities, such as audio-visual technology and dedicated
event staff. However, you'll likely still need to outsource
various other services, such as transportation and
accommodation (if the event requires travel) and possibly even
catering services. In the end, all the outsourcing can amount
to a lot more work than you had bargained for - meaning the
organization of your event might face compromise.

However, certain types of
venues, such as hotels, can offer a comprehensive set of event
services through a single facility, meaning that your event
planning package can encompass all of your meeting
requirements. For instance, many hotels operate divisions that
specialise in organizing
hotel meetings and events, in addition to providing
meeting facilities, catering and event staff, as well as guest
accommodation - so you'll be covered in terms of both meeting
services and event facilities.

Moreover, hotels can offer
exclusive services which are personalised to ensure success
for you and your event - so you can expect your event to run
according to your company's unique needs and requirements. And
finally, you'll find countless hotels that are ideally
situated for business travel, whether that means being located
in close proximity to the airport or having easy access to the
city's business district.

So, whether you're planning a
large corporate conference or a small company meeting, you'll
have a number of essential factors to consider. Choosing to
hold your meetings and events at a hotel will give you access
to a wide range of meeting and events facilities, as well as
tailored support to produce a successful event - meaning that
no factor will be overlooked.

Andrew Regan is an online,
freelance journalist who lists traveling and rugby among
his interests.

Hotel Booking
Online Makes For Easy Business

If you've ever attempted to make
a group hotel booking, you'll know how difficult it can be.
When it comes to business meetings or conferences in
particular, mass hotel bookings can be particularly hard to
co-ordinate. After all, it's likely that all the delegates
attending the business meeting you're planning will be
arriving from different parts of the country at different
times; so how can you be sure all their rooms are secure?
You'll also have to ensure that you have sufficient meeting
space for your business delegates, as well as refreshments and
audio/visual equipment - so things could get a little
overwhelming!

However,
the development of the internet over the past few years has
meant that hotels have come with increasingly sophisticated
ways for their guests to book hotel rooms - and this is
especially useful when it comes to group business hotel
bookings. Many top hotels and hotel chains, for instance, will
offer comprehensive online group booking facilities, allowing
you to book multiple guest rooms, a meeting room, food and
beverages and any audio/visual equipment you might need with
just a few clicks of a button.

From a business perspective,
making e-bookings for your business conference can make your
business meeting scheduling as productive as possible. You'll
be able to estimate the right-sized room for your business
meeting without having to travel to the hotel in question
personally. What's more, the best business e-booking hotel
providers will allow you to pick the arrangement of your room.
So, rather than having to supervise layout of tables, chairs
and a stage yourself, you can draw out a plan for hotel staff
to follow to your requirements.

Often, you'll even be able to
select from food and beverage menus. This way, if your
business delegates have any particular dietary requirements -
such as vegetarian or kosher food - you can make sure that
they'll be well catered for. You'll also have the opportunity
to order ample beverages for the business meeting - so the
attending businessmen will always have something available to
quench their thirst when the effect of the day's heated
business debates takes its toll.

What's more, online business
hotel booking facilities will even help you find the right
equipment and technical facilities that you'll need for your
business conference. You'll be able to choose from a variety
of options, including high-speed internet access and Wi-Fi to
top of the range AV projectors and visual screens for
presentations.

So the next time you're
organising a business conference in a hotel, make sure you
choose a venue which offers business e-booking facilities
online. For example, the
Hampton Hotel E directory lists over 1400 hotels and
locations, so you certainly won’t lack for choice! And, not
only will you increase the efficiency of your task, you'll
also have more time to get involved in what's most important -
the business meeting itself!

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who
lists travelling and rugby among his interests

Atlanta Hotel
and Convention Centers

The primary objective of a
convention center is to facilitate events that generate
economic benefit. As a concept, convention centers are
advanced meeting solutions combined with modern
accommodations.

The
success of a meeting depends, to a certain extent, on the
environment in which it is conducted. Organizations require
private and comfortable spaces to accommodate varied groups.
They need audio and video resources for live presentations.
Atlanta hotels have large convention meeting spaces with
advanced equipment. Atlanta hotel and convention centers are
ideal for national and local conventions, corporate meetings,
association programs, retreats and seminars.

The features of a convention
center can be customized to meet the requirements of guests.
Light, sound, and room temperature are self-controllable in
convention rooms. Seats are designed to give maximum comfort,
and writing surfaces are provided. There are deluxe rooms that
combine the coziness of a luxury hotel with the latest
amenities and technologies. The rooms in Atlanta hotels meet
all the criteria laid out by the International Association of
Conference Centers (IACC). Atlanta hotels offer their guests a
laptop, as well as wired and wireless Internet connections.
Atlanta hotel and convention centers also supply technicians
and staff for the coordination of events.

Business meeting is an important
happening in every business venture. If you are a manager or
owns the company, every time you will like the business
meeting to take place at a location giving all your executives
a wonderful experience. Business meeting and conference is one
thing that marks a very impressive occurrence in business.
Business hotels equipped with good facility and services are
worth making your business meeting and conference a success.
Whether it is general body meeting of managers or you are
willing to organise a business conference, a good business
hotel will meet all demands.

It is important to consider
several things before you have finally booked a hotel for your
business meeting and conference. Many of us have notion that
business hotels are boring place to be. In fact, such
hotels are great place to sharpen your business acumen, and
give you a better insight of your business. It is the place
where you come to know many of your business associates, and
experience good business exposure.

Today, business hotels are
equipped with very well appointed services and facilities. The
entirely furnished rooms endowed with all facilities keep
guests at complete ease. Lush green lawn where you can take a
walk, open top and spacious swimming pool, reading room and
game room are places to keep you prettily engaged when you are
away from your business meeting.

Having ample of facilities,
these hotels are worth managing corporate gathering. Be it
business conference, convention or simple business meeting,
business hotels have special arrangements to meet your all
needs. The conference hall would usually have facilities, such
as wi-fi access, computer projection, OHP, LCD screens,
whiteboards, excellent audio tools and equipments, good
catering service, etc. Availing the facility of business
hotels for all your official requirements, you need to find a
service provider which gives you all information about all
such hotels located at place where you want your
meting/conference t be held.

About The Author:
Dona Markley writes for
UK Conference venues that offers free service
to find conference venues and centres in the UK and
worldwide. She has done her masters in Business
Administration and is currently assisting UK Conference
Venues as a marketing specialist.

Meeting Expectations

So, you have a potential client
who’s requested a meeting with you—at “your office”. But, you
work at home. And, if you’re anything like me, your home may
not be worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest, or even
Not-Quite-A-Safety-Hazard Gazette. What to do?

As an independent professional,
I’ve had meetings literally everywhere you can imagine—parking
lots, onboard boats, and at mutual friends’ weddings. I’ve
even met extremely busy clients at their supermarket and
walked the aisles with them, asking questions while they
shopped. But, that’s a bit extreme. There are several more
tame options for alternate venues for meetings. Here are a
few:

- Go to see them. When I
offer to “come to them”, most clients are thrilled and
flattered – they think that you’re taking great care of them,
and they’re glad to not have to worry about travel time. If
they work out of their home, they may be comfortable having
the meeting at their place. I’ve even found that going into my
clients’ offices and homes helps to give me an idea of their
design and organizational styles. It even gives me an idea of
how much project management may be required on a particular
project—if their home is chaotic, there’s a good chance that
the project will be, too.

Just be sure to dose up on
allergy medication if you have any pet allergies—you never
know when “Fluffy” may be lying in wait. Pets are even common
in offices these days—which I learned the hard way (with a
combination of much sneezing and a rescheduled meeting).

- There’s always the local
coffee shop. Though this option is now a bit “laughed at” as
the official meet-up for freelancers, many clients don’t mind
meeting here. Make sure that you don’t schedule the meeting
for the early morning rush hours if possible, so you’ll have
some peace and quiet. Better yet, do an audit of the off- name
coffee shops in your area; small, local places are often more
cozy and atmospheric than the local Starbucks’. You may even
find a shop nearby with free Internet access, which will
enable you to show your live, online samples in a meeting —a
great benefit.

- Restaurants are a good
option, too. Everyone needs to eat lunch, right? So, a
restaurant can be the perfect place to take care of lunch and
business at the same time. Visit several of the restaurants in
your area to read the menus, get an idea of the food quality
and options, the price range, and the atmosphere and seating
arrangements. Do a bit of advance consultation on the
restaurant choice with your client, too; it’s a good idea to
make sure your client’s not a vegetarian if you’re planning to
take them to the steak house. And Plus, good etiquette often
dictates that you pick up the tab. (At least it’s tax
deductible.)

- Hotel lobbies can be
comfortable. There’s a hotel by my house that has a grand,
sweeping foyer with several groupings of armchairs, sofas and
tables. This particular hotel is very accommodating to
occasional business meetings; but you may want to check your
local hotel before scheduling a meeting there. I suggest
phoning ahead to inquire whether they’d mind if you have a
meeting there, or go by yourself and “hang out” for an hour or
two, with your laptop or a good book, to make sure that their
security team doesn’t get itchy about your presence. You don’t
want to get shut down mid-meeting!

- Many public and school
libraries have conference rooms. You can either use these
rooms on a first-come, first-served basis, or you can sign up
for a specified time— depending on the library. The good news
here is that you get a large, private, quiet space, and if
there is a cost associated, it’s often minimal.

- Check with your
professional associations. Many professional associations
offer meeting space as a member benefit. For example, some
Chambers of Commerce offer their meeting rooms to their
membership. Check with the associations that you belong to,
and see if they offer any spaces to conduct meetings.

- Outdoor sculpture gardens
or parks can boost creativity. For these two options to work,
you need favorable weather and an open-minded client, and when
the combination’s right, great things can come of these
meetings. Walking while you talk can also keep the
inspiration, and your blood, flowing. A dog-owning client will
often love this idea—as long as you like dogs too, invite the
pooch along!

- Form an alliance. If you
have a friend, business acquaintance or client with an office
space, you may be able to arrange to take an occasional
meeting at their workplace. I have a couple of such alliances,
and I offer my alliance partners small consultations and bits
of help in exchange.

- Rent-a-room. I’m not
talking about a sleazy motel room! If you’d like to present a
buttoned-down, professional image, there are several options
for conference rooms that you can rent by the hour. There are
“Executive Centers” popping up all around the world that rent
out office space and conference rooms on an as-needed basis.
HQ Global (www.hq.com), some FedEx Kinkos (http://www.fedex.com/us/
officeprint/storesvcs/technology/conference.html?link=4)
locations and many hotels offer executive meeting space.

Choosing a great place to
have a meeting involves developing a bit of intuition about
your client, and doing some research on the options available
in your area. However, with a touch of creativity and
sometimes a bit of cash, you can find a great place that will
be host to a comfortable, project-winning or
relationship-building meeting.

About the Author

Erin Ferree, Founder and
Lead Designer of elf design, is a brand identity and
graphic design expert. She has been helping small
businesses grow with bold, clean and effective logo and
marketing material designs for over a decade. elf design
offers the comprehensive graphic and web design services
of a large agency, with the one- on-one, personalized
attention of an independent design specialist. Erin
works closely in partnership with her clients to create
designs that are visible, credible and memorable – and
that tell their unique business stories in a clear and
consistent way. For more information about elf design,
please visit:
Logo
design at
http://www.elf-design.com

Business Travel
Made Easy By Businessperson Minded Hotels

If you're a businessman who
travels often, the chances are you know what to look for in a
good hotel room. And, if you're the kind of business traveller
who spends a lot of time on the road, you might also carry
around photos of your family, or other small items from home
to make yourself feel more comfortable in your hotel room -
after all, it's the small things that can make someone feel at
home!

But most of all,
it's important that you can enjoy the convenience of staying
connected to the internet and in touch with technology at
every turn. Modern business is now so reliant on the World
Wide Web that, if you're a business traveller, it's paramount
that you're able to access a high-speed internet connection
wherever you go. So, if a hotel has high-speed internet access
in all guest rooms, business travellers will be able to enjoy
the freedom of staying connected to both their home and the
office when they need it most.

What's more, if you're
holding a business meeting in a hotel, it'll be essential that
the meeting room has high-speed internet access or wireless
internet access. This gives both meeting attendees and
presenters the chance to demonstrate products, video
conferencing and interactive training, amongst many more
benefits of being online, so that you'll be able to conduct
your business seminar or workshop with ease.

Of course, while it's normal
that you'll be carrying your own (or your company) laptop
during your business trip, it's much less likely that you'll
bring your own printer with you as well! That's why it's
always handy to stay in a hotel that has printing facilities
for business travellers. This means that if you've prepared a
presentation on your laptop in your hotel room the night
before a big business meeting, you'll be able to conveniently
print it out and hand out to the other members of your
seminar.

Moreover, after a hard day's
work, business travellers will want to wind down in the
hotel's leisure facilities before another day of meetings - or
the inevitable trip homeward. This might involve taking some
time out in the hotel spa, going for a midnight dip in the
swimming pool or even opting for a relaxing evening in the
hotel bar.

You’ll likely find that most
providers of
business hotel accommodation will offer these first class
services; and if you're lucky, the better ones will also throw
in a few useful technological gadgets that will make your life
simple - such as speakers in which you can plug your mp3 or CD
player or handy alarm clocks that will make sure you don't
miss that business meeting in the morning!

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who
lists travelling and rugby among his interests

How To
Negotiate The Best Deal On The Hotel Room

It's important to talk to the
right person when trying to get a great deal, that means
someone who has the authority to negotiate with you. You can
ask to speak to the Sales Manager or if they have a dedicated
staff for meeting and event coordinating, speak to the manager
of that department. Remember to research comparable room
prices in the area online so that you'll have a good point of
reference to bring to the negotiation table. It does take some
advanced planning to get the best deals, but hotel room prices
are more flexible than the average person realizes.

Be aware of the seasons and try
to schedule your seminar during a time when the hotel's
business is typically slow. Getting a great room at a great
price will always be easier when the hotel isn't full. If
you're booking a block of rooms for seminar guests and
speakers in addition to the meeting room, you're also more
likely to get a better price for both. Several popular hotel
chains have extensive planning tools available online so be
sure to take advantage of the wealth of information made
available.

Once you've got a list of
possible venues together, you can start contacting the sales
department of each hotel and sending them your request for
proposal or RFP. Make sure your RFP includes preferred dates,
number and type of sleeping rooms you require, food and
beverage requirements, a tentative agenda and the amount of
meeting space that is needed. Based on the hotels' responses
to your RFP, you should be able to narrow down the field of
possibilities and schedule some site inspections. To save both
money and time, you can substitute an actual site inspection
with a detailed questionnaire, virtual tour or both!

When you start negotiations,
always remember that everything is negotiable. If the group
generates sufficient guestroom and food and beverage revenue,
the meeting room rental fees can and should be waived. If
you're planning a reoccurring event, you can also use your
loyalty as leverage.

Once you've weighed your
options and made your decision, make sure everything, big and
small, is outlined in explicit detail in the written contract.
Deposit procedures and acceptable methods of payment are two
things that should be agreed upon before you sign anything.

After the event, take your
time going over the invoice with a fine-toothed comb. The
first draft of the invoice from the hotel is almost never
correct so be sure to point out anything that needs to be
corrected. Get feedback about the hotel from the seminar
attendees. If there are complaints, politely let your hotel
representative know about them. Any good salesperson will
gladly offer an additional discount to ensure that you
consider them again next year.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best
Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent
Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning
Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success
Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful
Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips
Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at
http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or
http://promotingtips.com.

Sales
Techniques - You Don't Have to Wear a Lampshade to Add Humor to
Your Sales Techniques

If your sales techniques include
meeting with customers at a business event, introducing a
speaker, or leading a presentation at a meeting, a light touch
of humor works wonders for your sales.

A good sense of humor draws
people to you, and is a key element in building relationships.
Laughter is a kind of social glue that binds people together.
When people laugh together, tension is reduced and connections
are made.

You don't have to wear a
lampshade on your head or tell jokes to show you have a sense
of humor. In fact, humor that is based on observation is far
more effective in creating bonds, because it is based on a
situation you share. Here are some tips for injecting fresh,
original humor that will help you connect with your customers.

Sales techniques - adding
humor

1. Look for connections
between people, places and situations. Observe what is around
you - the location of the hotel where your meeting is taking
place, signs, restaurants, local cuisine and customs.

2. At a company meeting, find
out what is happening in other locations and at other times.
Know what is happening that evening, and the next day. Find
out if there is any inside humor for this meeting - perhaps
something unusual that happened earlier in the day.

3. If you are introducing a
speaker, or you are the speaker, open with observational humor
only if you are sure it's funny. If you aren't sure, use it
later in the program, or after the audience is warmed up. Then
if no one laughs, you can just continue as if you meant to be
serious all along.

4. Don't tell jokes. People
respond differently to jokes, and you are likely to offend
someone. It's also hard to tell jokes well.

5. Never poke fun at anyone.
It's much better to comment on the oddities that you all
share, such as a new food you all tried at the restaurant the
evening before, than to point at something unusual about
another person. The exception is poking fun at yourself, but
this should also be more about something you didn't realize,
(alligator tastes like chicken!) than about you personally.

Spontaneous, observational
humor is a wonderful way to build connections. When people
laugh with you, they'll be more likely to remember you. A
small dose of humor can remedy almost any situation. You're
guaranteed to experience very positive side effects with these
sales techniques.

You are invited you use these
sales techniques to help you connect with your customers and
build relationships that lead to more sales.

I'd also like to offer you
a free report: "Breakthrough Communication Skills"
packed with powerful tips for business success, at
http://www.ImpressforSuccess.com when you join my
Communication Capsules newsletter.

Would you like to attract
new customers, increase sales, and boost your career?
Click here for simple How-to Guides that give you
immediate results.
http://www.goldmansmythe.com/howto.html From Lynda
Goldman, business communications and etiquette
consultant and author of 30 books, including How to Make
a Million Dollar First Impression.

Aspects
of a Seminar - Revenue Streams

What are the different sources
of revenue you have? You need to determine these and which one
is your “money-maker.” There are four different types of
revenue within the seminar business. Each has a different
position to making you money. When I plan seminars, I take
each of these four streams of revenue and determine where the
money goes from each one.

You must determine these revenue
streams to make money!

1. Registration (Gate)
Your registration fee should be high enough to cover the
expenses of your conference. You are NOT going to make money
in this area! The goal of registration is to cover your
overhead cost, NOT make a profit.

2. Sponsors/Vendors
Sponsors and vendors are a great way to help cover some of
your overhead costs, also. Another way to use this money is to
provide something you wouldn’t normally provide. For example:
At the Family Ebiz Expo, if we are able to get a sponsor or
two, we will add food at one of our break-out sessions.

3. Product Sales (Back of
the Room Sales- BOR)
This is your “MONEY-MAKER!” This is where you will bring in
profit. Speakers will sell products; this should include your
invited speaker and you! Yes, you should speak at your event!
When a speaker speaks at your event, you get a 50% commission.
This should be in your contract! This is very important, so
that you make money. One of the reasons you should speak is
you get a 100% commission. This is your pay-day. This is where
you will make the most money. Later on, I will talk about
seminar etiquette but if you follow the etiquette secrets I
share with you, you should have the most sales at your event!

4. After Event Sales
The last stream of revenue is after event sales. This can be a
pretty big money-maker, also. Make sure to record and/or video
the event (video-taping depends on your budget). You can then
sell these recordings to attendees and those who didn’t get a
chance to come. There are different ways to sell these; either
as a big package or as individuals talks. Right after the
event, I would sell them as a package. Then once things die
down a little start releasing them one-by-one. This becomes a
more constant source of income.

Remember where your
“money-maker” is: Back of the Room Sales! This is where your
profit will come from; not your registration costs!!! This is
a mistake many people make. They think they can make profit
and cover all the expenses in the registration costs. This is
NOT true! Don’t try it! This shows why choosing speakers is so
important. They are your money-maker!

Ashley Beck, President of
Seminar Agent, promotes and manages conferences and
seminars. She shares the secrets to managing a
profitable seminar with you! To see more secrets visit:
http://www.AshleyBeckLive.com

Business
Conference Centers

If you are looking for a perfect
setting to conduct corporate meetings and business retreats,
then business conference centers are the right choice.
Equipped with hi-tech facilities, business conference centers
provide everything to meet your business needs. They are ideal
for hosting functions, seminars, product launch events,
training events, and conferences.

With attractive and affordable
rates, business conference centers provide facilities such as
meeting rooms, board rooms, and conference rooms to make your
business or team meetings a success. To meet all your training
needs, there are state-of-the-art training rooms. Catering
services for coffee breaks and full business luncheons are
also available upon request. Business conference centers offer
leisure facilities such as swimming pool, gym, fitness
studios, bars, and restaurants.

Business conference centers
that are conveniently located close to top-notch hotels and
restaurants are more in demand. Ribby Hall Village, Avenue
Business Centers, Battery march Conference Center, John
Hancock Conference Center, Villanova Conference Center, Ralph
A. McMullan Conference Center, and Villanova Conference Center
are some of the finest business conference centers in the U.S.

Finding a conference center
is quite easy with the websites. They can be booked online,
directly or by contacting the hotel which provides conference
facilities.

Rates of business conference
centers depend on a number of factors such as the size and
duration of the seminar or presentation, and services
requested. Certain conference centers demand an initial
deposit at the time of booking. Some conference centers demand
a damage deposit at the time of booking. Special rates and
discounts are offered for registered nonprofit organizations.
Seasonal discounts and frequency discounts are also available
with business conference centers.

If you are planning to host
corporate and association meetings, conferences, training
sessions, seminars, sales and marketing presentations, product
launch event and other special events, then executive
conference centers are the right choice.

With award-winning facilities,
executive conference centers provide elegant and efficient
meeting space to accommodate small to large size meetings.
These days, executive conference centers are gaining more
popularity among the business community. To make your
executive meeting a total success, executive conference
centers provide you with a professional business environment
that is conducive to corporate meetings.

Wireless high-speed internet
access, printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines are also
provided in executive conference centers. Apart from the above
facilities, they provide professional on-site conference
service staff to provide assistance in meeting or event
planning.

To make your business meeting
a memorable experience, executive conference centers provide
leisure time facilities such as fitness center, gym, athletic
clubs, swimming pool; exquisite dining options, and beverages.
In short, everything you need ranging from productive meeting
rooms to a comfortable guest room is available with executive
conference centers.

Executive conference centers
that are conveniently located close to popular attractions and
shopping areas are more favored by business people. Some of
the best executive conference center options are AMA?s
executive conference centers at New York, Atlanta, Chicago,
San Francisco, and Washington, DC; St. Louis Executive
Conference Center, Davidson Executive Conference Center,
Babson Executive Conference Center, and R. David Thomas
Executive Conference Center. To take advantage of excellent
meeting facilities, one can book these conference centers
either online or by contacting over the phone.

I don’t know why it is, but no
matter how carefully I brief a hotel on the room set-up I want
for my seminars, workshops and training meetings, more often
than not when I arrive, they have provided a standard hotel
room set up. What I find even more alarming is the number of
times that I attend a meeting either as a guest speaker or
audience member to find that the meeting planner or speaker
has not bothered to think beyond this standard room set-up
which is often quite hostile to the audience.

Seating Arrangements

The standard hotel set up for
seating is theatre style with a centre aisle, set square with
about 20% more seating that you need, based on your audience
expectations.

A centre aisle means that
the speaker stands in front of empty space, or more often a
projector, with the audience split to right and left.
Theatre style means that the audience cannot interact or
even see each other and they also tend to fill up from the
back. More seats means that people spread out and the room
feels empty, i.e. unsuccessful.

The larger the audience
the more likely you will have to use theatre style – but try
a herring-bone or semi circle shape with no centre aisle.
Instead have two aisles, one either side.

If you expect 100 people
set out 90 seats and have the extras on the side – let the
room fill up, then bring in the spare seats for the late
comers. This creates a great sense of the meeting exceeding
expectations.

If you get less bookings
than expected for a meeting which will result in an empty
space problem – switch to classroom (rows of tables) or
cabaret style (round or square tables) layout. Bringing
tables into the room fills it up and helps to convey the
feeling of success.

If your workshop seminar
style is interactive seriously consider a cabaret style or
horse shoe style set up. Each has its benefits, but they
share the fact that the audience can see each other and
interact. People will simply interact more is the room
layout is designed to encourage it. Numbers in attendance
often dictate which style to use – Horseshoe is not really
practical for more than about thirty and cabaret is not
really practical for less than about fifteen, but don’t take
either as unbreakable rules – be creative.

Above all – think about
the room set up as an essential part of the programme, and
be creative. Design a room set up that provides you with the
best chance of making the meeting a success. Put yourself in
the audience and see things from their perspective. How you
set the room can literally make or break your meeting.

Stage Set-up

The standard set up is a top
table with two or three chairs behind set to one or other side
of the room, a flipchart on the other side, a screen in the
centre of the room and a data projector blocking the centre
aisle.

If you have to use
PowerPoint it don’t make it the centre of attention
relegating the speaker to the role of narrator. If possible
move the screen to stage left (if you are right handed) at
an angle and move the projector off there as well (same for
OHP). That way the slides are a side show and remember the
"B" key. Pressing “B” when you are showing a PowerPoint
slide "Blacks Out" the presentation until you press "anykey."

Place the Flip Chart on
your left, if you are right handed so that you can write on
the chart without standing in font of it.

Get rid of the top table –
I even do this at other people meetings, I hate having
someone sitting at the table behind me when I am speaking.

Look at the stage set up
as a member of the audience from every angle. Make sure that
nothing interferes with your ability to communicate.

The entire room set up should
be something that the audience don’t really notice. It should
work naturally with your seminar or meeting and contribute to
making it flow. Anything that gets in the way of that – change
it.

If you are speaking at
someone else’s meeting you will be more restricted in what you
can do, and they are often reluctant to stray from the hotel
standard, so I try to work with them, rather than being
demanding, to make the room set up work. That means asking for
changes as a big favour and it also means getting there very
early with plenty of time to make changes if they are needed.
Make yourself a resource for the meeting planner, and
demonstrate the focus of your recommendations to be in support
of their meeting objectives.

About the Author:

Founder and First
President of the Professional Speakers Association,
RikkiArundel is an International Keynote Speaker,
Trainer and Writer and an expert in sales and marketing
communications with an impressive track record.

So let’s look at the details necessary for planning a
successful conference.

The Right Time

What may be the perfect time for you may not be the perfect
time for your attendees or the city/hotel you want to use.
Plan and coordinate a time that would be suitable to all. You
can’t please everyone in this, but it is best to schedule it
around the important attendees and speakers.

Avoid any holidays or important events during the time that
may affect attendance such as religious holidays and other
industry-related events.

The Right Location

The right location, with the necessary facilities, is the key
in making an event attractive to potential attendees. It’s
best to hold conferences in a cosmopolitan city, which is also
a business hub.

The city's convention and visitor’s bureau (CVB) Web site will
provide you information about other conventions, meetings or
sporting events taking place during the same time. The local
CVB also can assist you in finding the right hotel for your
event. They will send your lead out to all their member hotels
so you don't have to contact each individually. Be sure to
identify what type of hotel property you are interested in
i.e., four-star, close to the airport etc. Make sure there are
plenty of travel options by air, train or road.

The Right Hotel

The right hotel is pivotal to the success of your conference;
make sure the hotel has all amenities that might be important
to your conference needs.

The hotel must have, fully geared Business Centers with state
of the art facilities coupled with boardroom and meeting
rooms. A multi function room to cater to meetings, theatre
style seminars and promotions and exhibitions, is important,
and of course, sit down dinners and lunches with full and
latest audio + video conferencing facilities.

Find out what food and beverage venues the hotel offers or are
within walking distance, especially if you are not providing
breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.

The Right Equipment

Most hotels have an audio/visual department, and this
department also controls the sound. But they also service
other groups in the hotel as well. Consider arranging for a
technician to be in your conference room at all times.

If your presentation is on a
computer, make sure you back-up your presentation to a jump
drive. Podium microphones and wired lavaliere microphones are
the least expensive. Make sure your video devices are setup
for maximum exposure.

Pre event checks

Two weeks prior to your event, send your specifications to
your hotel, include: date, time, set-time, rehearsal times,
room set-ups, microphone and audio/visual requirements, and
any special needs you may have.

Identify The Best Venues - Get The Best Deals - And Make Your
Event A Great Success

With the advent of technology
and given today's fast paced life, organising a conference is
no longer limited to hiring an auditorium with an overhead
projector. In fact, organising any corporate event, especially
a conference, involves a lot of planning and strategy. From
identifying the number of attendees to selecting a perfect
venue to assessing the facilities required, all form a part of
organising a perfect conference. If this sounds daunting, do
not be dismayed, as there are many specialised agencies that
excel in the field of organising conferences. Conference
organisers have made this mammoth task very simple by their
expertise and efficiency. Whether you are organising a
conference in Staffordshire or Essex or Surrey, there are
conference organisers that will help you identify the best
venues, get the best deals, and make your event a great
success.

Professional
and successful conference organisers will take care of all
aspects of your conference, thereby giving you time to enjoy
the entire conference and benefit from it, rather than worry
about the logistics. Once the type of conference being
organised is decided and also the number of invitees,
conference organisers come into the picture and help you plan
and implement the entire event. Planning a conference begins
by identifying the perfect venue that will suit the needs of
the event. Most conference organisers are well resourced and
can provide a list of available venues along with the
facilities and services and their rates. Choosing a venue
becomes very simple with all the information available at
hand. However, it is always best to personally visit the venue
to ensure that all the aspects advertised by the venue owner
are indeed true and would be made available. While selecting
and identifying a perfect venue for the conference, conference
organisers take into consideration the location of the venue
and its accessibility. These two factors are very important,
as they decide whether participants to a conference can attend
without any apparent difficulty.

The next step in organising a
conference, before finalising a venue, is listing the
facilities and services provided by the various venues. While
looking at the facilities and the services provided at the
venues, one should always keep in mind the kind of conference
being organised, as this would determine the requirements. A
professional and successful conference organiser would
predetermine the needs and requirements of the conference and
identify a venue that would provide all the facilities
required for the conference. These could include audiovisual
equipment needed for presentations, a big auditorium, a good
podium or stage, and perfect lighting to enhance the event,
among other needs. Personal inspection of the venue would help
in identifying the other facilities provided by the venue
owners. A creative conference organiser will identify certain
extra facilities provided by the venue and use it effectively
in the conference.

Conference organisers play an
important role in selecting the theme and feel of the
conference. They provide the creative content that is
absolutely necessary to make the conference a successful
event. Their activities are not restricted to venue search and
logistics, but include handling and managing the delegates,
identifying facilitators, and preparing conference material
and delegate packs. Once the subject of the conference is
conveyed to the conference organiser, designing and preparing
subject-related material, identifying eminent speakers on the
subject, and requesting their presence for the conference is
the duty of the staff, which is highly resourceful and
dynamic. The conference organiser ensures that the material
being distributed is of good quality, both in terms of content
as well as appearance. Once you hire a good conference
organiser to handle your conference, they handle everything
right from inviting the delegates for the conference to
registration of delegates to collecting delegate fee and
finally making sure that the delegates are comfortably placed
in their respective accommodations during the conference. They
also make sure that the invitees are well aware of the
itinerary of the conference and are given their delegate packs
on arrival. Even while compiling the delegate packs, the
conference organisers take utmost care to see that all the
material is properly placed and nothing is left out. Most
organisers even cater to the entertainment needs of the
delegates by choosing a venue that has varied options that
would both intrigue and benefit the attendees of the
conference.

Finally, the conference
organisers provide onsite help during the conference for the
smooth running of the conference and to iron out any problems
that may arise during the course of the event. This helps the
delegates to attend, enjoy, and benefit from the conference
without any hassle. Apart from the actual services provided
during the conference, organisers also help in marketing and
PR of the conference. In some cases, where necessary, the
conference organisers also help in obtaining sponsorships for
the conference. In short, they provide expert holistic support
to the conference being organised by a corporate.

If you're in the process of
organising a large function - whether it's a corporate
meeting, an extended family reunion or a blow-out wedding -
you'll likely find yourself under a lot of stress. From
booking the event location to making sure that all the
necessary attendees are notified, event planners and co-ordinators
are bound to have a lot on their plate at any given time in
the planning process. That is why it's essential for event
planners to seek help from a trusted expert that will help
them cover all the bases.

Many event and meeting locations
- such as hotels or conference centres - offer detailed help
and comprehensive support if you book with them. Through
direct booking or online booking, the best event locations
will offer first-class event planning services, including a
Guest List manager, the ability to book multiple group
reservations at one time and the opportunity to view floor
plans online in order to create the perfect seating setup for
your guests.

Some hotels that offer event
planning help, such as Hilton Embassy Suites, even offer the
opportunity to create a personalized online group web page
with a unique web address, so that your guests or meeting
attendants will be able to book their own guest rooms. For
example, if you're planning a wedding, creating your own
wedding website could work wonders during the planning
process. Your guests will have the option to RSVP online, book
rooms in the hotel in which your wedding is being held and
view your wedding gift list online as well.

If it's a business meeting
you're planning, then many
hotel meeting venues will help you determine how to divide
your budget between meeting space, food and beverages, guest
rooms (if necessary) and any audio or visual rental equipment
you might need. What's more, you'll find detailed advice on
how to plan daily schedules, should your conference carry on
for more than one day. If you're trying to plan a large social
gathering of friends, then meeting venues will even help you
compile a list of what you require for your function: for
instance, whether or not you'll need a dance floor or a stage.

Whatever type of event or
meeting you're planning in a hotel meeting venue, make
effective use of the checklists and organisational services
available to you. This will not only ensure that your event
gets off to a roaring start, but will also take some of the
pressure of your own shoulders.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist who
travels extensively.

Finding meeting venues is not
necessarily as simple as you might imagine. For a simple
meeting, it will not normally be too difficult; simply phone
up a venue, advise them of your requirements, and then show up
on the day, right? Well, up to a point. Certainly it's easier
booking meetings and seminars for small numbers, when your
needs are simple and few; but even here there are usually
quite a few considerations to bear in mind. For larger
meetings such as conferences and conventions, there are any
number of things to bear in mind, from technical requirements
to catering, location to breakout rooms. For this reason, it
may be wise to consider the services of a specialist venue
finding service, as this can take a lot of the hassle out of
finding meeting venues and organizing all the add-ons that
make a successful event.

The first thing to consider when
looking to book a venue for your meetings or team building
events is the size and location of your chosen venue. You
should aim to site your meeting venue in the most convenient
location for all attendees, and ensure that the venue where
you'll be holding the event is large enough to cater
adequately for your needs. This may seem obvious enough, but
stop to consider ancillary requirements such as space for
lunch and coffee breaks, breakout rooms for subgroups and
smaller working parties (if necessary), and how delegates are
going to get to the meeting.

Other issues to bear in mind
when finding meeting venues can be broken down into the
following categories; catering facilities, technical
requirements, and accommodation needs. Consider, when
arranging meetings, how much hospitality you wish to lay on
for your attendees – bearing in mind any rules or guidelines
that may exist in your business – for example, the rules on
permissible hospitality that pertain to the pharmaceutical
industry.

If you have any specific
technical requirements, it is important to flag these up as
early as possible. Most meeting rooms will have basic
projection equipment, but if you have extra requirements, you
may find that a surprising number of venues simply can't
fulfil your requirements. For example, you may wish to use
internet conferencing facilities to include remote attendees
in your meeting, and for everyone round the table in your own
meeting room to have a laptop to access spreadsheets as the
meeting progresses. This is a special requirement that some
meeting venues won't be able to meet – so be extremely clear
beforehand on what you expect from your chosen conference
centre or meeting rooms, and don't hesitate to look elsewhere
if necessary. And ensure that, if your meetings or corporate
events are likely to be lengthy, that suitable accommodation
is available and booked. We will come back to this issue
presently.

It's important when finding
meeting venues to book as far ahead as possible. A surprising
number of companies aren't set up to hold large or important
meetings, and go to outside hosts for team building events or
training courses. This can lead to pressure on places, and
make it difficult to find a suitable venue at short notice.
There are ways round the problem of holding meetings at short
notice, as we'll see in a moment; but if it's at all possible,
do try to give venues as much notice as humanly possible.

If you have to schedule a
meeting at very short notice, this is where the services of a
specialist venue finding service can be helpful in finding
meeting venues. Conference organizers have extensive lists of
contacts, and can phone round meeting rooms quickly to find
suitable venues that are free and happy to take your custom.
Even better, they're free of charge, so you can use them on a
no-risk basis; as specialist venue finder and conference
organizing services make their money on fees from the venues
themselves, rather than by billing you, if you don't find
something suitable you can simply look elsewhere. However,
going to a conference organizer will open up a portfolio of
conference and meeting venues that you may well never have
thought of otherwise.

In addition to these
benefits, there are other up sides to choosing a conference
organizer. Using such services allows you to spend your time
on the more immediate matter of preparing the content for your
meetings or team building events – tweaking your visual aids,
working on agendas, perfecting sales presentations.
Accommodation, too, is an area where using a specialist
company to organize your conferences or meetings; they can
negotiate special discounted rates with partner hotels that
simply wouldn't be available to you if someone from your
company phoned up to make a block booking.

Should you prefer to make the
arrangements yourself, then bearing these simple factors in
mind will help make finding meeting venues a relatively
straightforward task.

Meetings held and organised by
Pharmaceutical companies are an essential way of communicating
and evolving scientific research, clinical development and
medical education. However, there is always the danger that
they can be seen as a blatant attempt to railroad Health Care
Professionals into prescribing products by using lavish
surroundings and hospitality to influence them.

This is where the ABPI 2006 code
of practice comes into its own, specifically clause 19 which
deals with the arrangement and holding of HCP meetings within
the Pharmaceutical industry. The key requirement being that
the main purpose of the meeting should be its content and any
hospitality offered during these meetings should not only be
secondary but in fact no more than basic subsistence.

How can we work out what
would and would not be acceptable? In answering this question,
you would need to consider all aspects of the meeting from the
venue, timings, hospitality, content (including speakers) and
all associated materials ie handouts, stand material and
invitations and equally as important, the costs. All of these
elements factor in how the end product, the meeting, will be
perceived. This is how it would be deemed acceptable or not,
the overall impression given from combining all of these
elements. Therefore, one of the requirements of the code is
that all Pharmaceutical companies have a specific policy
dealing with meetings and hospitality. This must be adhered to
otherwise companies can find themselves in breach of the code
which can ultimately lead to heavy sanctions against the
offending company.

What sort of meetings are
acceptable? In simple terms, educational meetings. This
however does not rule out promotional meetings as these can be
just as educational as non-promotional meetings. Either way,
the educational content of the meeting must be the primary
purpose of the meeting.

To achieve the right balance
between educational content and hospitality the following must
be considered. Timings- Does the length of the meeting justify
the hospitality offered? For example, a meeting lasting one
hour in the afternoon does not warrant an elaborate 3 course
dinner and overnight accommodation, however if the meeting
commenced at 12 noon and ran till 6pm and extended until the
following morning, then this level of hospitality could be
justified.

Costs/Quality- Is the cost
and quality of the hospitality in accordance with the level of
the meeting? For example, a good quality venue with 3 course
dinner could be booked for a meeting featuring an
international speaker however would not be justifiable for a
local GP speaker meeting as this would be more appropriately
hosted in a conference centre.

Arrangements- Have the
arrangements been made to be suit the educational content of
the meeting? For example, a talk over dinner suggests that the
educational content comes secondary to the food, whereas a
short meeting with just simple refreshments would indicate
that the education is why people are attending.

Advertising Emphasis- Does
the advertisement of the meeting ‘sell' the content or the
venue/hospitality? For example, if the meeting is billed on
the invitations as a ‘Gala Dinner' or being held at a ‘Luxury
and Renowned Venue' this would be seen as luring the attendees
on the hospitality or the quality of the venue. The meeting
must be advertised with the educational content being its
primary ‘selling' point.

Venue- Is the venue
appropriate to the purpose of the meeting? The meeting content
should be planned first and only then a venue should be
sourced to fit in with that content. Never should a venue be
hired and the meeting content be edited to fit to that
specific venue. The venue must be professional and offer
privacy for the duration of the educational content of the
meeting. Nightclubs and Casinos are a big no-no.

Sporting venues and Spas
should be avoided unless there really is no alternative venue
to host the meeting. Any sporting venue that is used should
have no fixtures immediately before, during or after the
meeting. Location of the venue is also important. For example,
it would not be acceptable to hold a local GP speaker meeting
from the midlands in central Scotland as this would mean
unnecessary travelling, accommodation, expense and would be
perceived as the venue being the main attraction for the
meeting allowing the attendees a mini-break on the back of the
meeting.

Activities- Which activities
are acceptable during the meeting? Any activity offered must
be professional. Activities can only be offered if they relate
to the main educational purpose of the meeting. Any activity
which is mainly for entertainment value should not be
included. For example, a round of golf, Spa treatments, wine
tasting. These activities are unprofessional and therefore
unacceptable in accordance with the code.

Materials- Which materials
can be used? All meetings should ideally be documented by at
least an invitation or a letter confirming arrangements. All
materials used must comply with the relevant sections of the
code which also includes materials produced by third parties
as the Pharmaceutical companies have overall compliance
responsibility. Sponsorship must be clearly stated on all
relating material whether the meeting is promotional or not.
All materials used must show that the meeting is in accordance
to the code. For example, invitations/stands must not give the
wrong impression of the meeting content.

There are many factors which
could potentially lead to a breach of the code in booking a
meeting for HCP's. Some Pharmaceutical companies are seeking
help in this area by using venue sourcing companies who have
been certified by an industry consultant and have in-depth
knowledge of what is and not acceptable under the ABPI 2006
code of compliance. This is proving to be of great use to them
as although it does not remove their ultimate responsibility,
it acts as a further safe guard in the need to comply.

In summary, perception is
key. Put yourself in the position of an outside observer, how
would it look to you?

On a regular basis, companies
find that they have to organise meetings, seminars and other
corporate events. In terms if organising an annual general
meeting, companies have to engage in substantial planning and
research when it comes to finding the most suitable venue. The
process of organising meetings such as this can be a lengthy
one. Moreover, not all companies have the time or resources to
go through the whole process of organising a meeting. This is
because there are many factors to consider when organising a
meeting. This includes the number of people that will be in
attendance, the accessibility of the venue and the
equipment/facilities available at the venue. It is also worth
mentioning that not many companies have the adequate personnel
required for effectively organising a meeting.

If a company does not wish to
directly locate a meeting venue, there are a few options
available which they could explore. Hiring a specialist agency
which organises meetings would be the one way to stream line
the process of securing a meeting venue. Such agencies will
charge the company a fee for the venue finding service they
offer. Though this sort of service is more efficient and
cost-effective than searching for a meeting venue directly,
there are still some pitfalls and bottlenecks that could be
encountered. These obstacles have the potential to cost a
company substantial amounts of unforeseen expenses.

The main reason for this is
because using such services often means that companies may not
necessarily get the best deal possible, as some hidden costs
might be involved. Such hidden costs may arise from the fact
that the agency's service fee and the cost of using the venue
could be over-inflated, especially if the agency has
commercial affiliations with the venues. In light of this, it
will be advisable for a company to patronise the services of a
free meeting organiser. A free meeting organiser will be able
to provide a fully customised venue finding service on a
free-of-charge basis. These free meeting organisers are funded
by conference venues and hotels and as such, there will be no
conflicting interests in terms of venue fees and service
charges. Regardless of what type of meeting venue you require,
whether a traditional or contemporary venue, meeting
organisers can provide effective assistance. Before
patronising the services of a meeting organiser, it is
important for a company to know how many people will be
attending the meeting and what venue equipment or facilities
they would require. Companies also need to make sure that
their delegates and attendees will be able to easily access
any prospective venues.

Providing meeting organisers
with as much information as possible will certainly facilitate
the service that they provide. For those corporate meetings
which will be held over a few days, companies will have to
consider accommodation booking. Many good meeting organisers
are also able to provide an accommodation booking service. If
the selected venue does not have accommodation facilities, a
meeting organiser can book accommodation in nearby hotels and
inns. This can be done easily since the most reliable meeting
organisers build and maintain close affiliations and
communication links with a network of local hotels.

Finding a meeting organiser
is seldom a difficult task because the market for this service
has been growing rapidly over the last few years. This means
that the market is characterised by many competing firms which
all engage in strategic advertising and promotion. New firms
also enter the market on a frequent basis. Doing a simple
keyword search on a reliable Internet search engine will yield
a variety of free meeting organiser sites and advertisements.
There is no doubt that with the assistance of an experienced
professional meeting organiser, companies can be sure that
they will obtain the most suitable venue at the most
favourable rates. Once a meeting organiser has located
potential meeting venues, they normally give the company the
opportunity to inspect the venue before any final arrangements
are made. Companies who are looking to organise a meeting
outside the UK will also find meeting organisers to be helpful
in this regard.

It is very important for a
company to have a good idea about the track record of a
meeting organiser in order to ensure that they would provide a
satisfactory service. Asking prospective organisers for client
references and looking out for customer testimonials on their
websites is a good way to do this. Many meeting organisers can
be contacted via their websites using online forms or email.
Inquirers can usually expect a same-day response time. Their
teams of fully trained customer service advisers will also be
able to provide you with expert advice and guidance.
Furthermore, some meeting organisers offer comprehensive
services which include things like information management,
accommodation group booking, event management and budget
control.

Ways an automated system makes
it easier for attendees, giving you MORE REGISTRATIONS:

1. Provide 24 hour, anywhere access.
Give prospective registrants anytime/anywhere access to your
event information so that they can easily find, refer back to,
and recommend your event to others. An automated system
increases the ease of access, enhancing the chances of people
making a decision to attend your event.

2. Auto-fill information and steer attendees to your goal.
Make it easier for registrants to say yes by auto-filling
their registration form and auto-selecting their registration
type options (member, non-member, sponsor, etc.) Some
automated systems allow your form to pre-populate known
contact information into a prospective attendee's registration
form and then steer them down the proper registration path
based on their registration type.. It's less confusing for
them and you get correct data the first time.

3. Provide payment solutions.
More payment options equals more registrants. Each person
typically has a preferred mode of payment that, if not
offered, will cause them to hesitate or not enroll at all.
Make sure you offer ALL five of the major credit cards (Visa,
Master Card, Amex, Diners & Discover), as well as checks,
echecks, and PayPal. A good online registration system enables
you to easily offer and accept all of these payment options,
in real-time, with automatic processing.

4. Implement ‘one-stop shopping’.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t register immediately
for events is because they want to first check into travel
arrangements. Using an online system to offer hotel booking
options and flight arrangements in your online registration,
means you will convince more people to register right away,
minimizing the potential to forget about your event.

5. Present more details.
In your online registration, give your registrants as much
detail on your event as possible. Provide links to venue maps,
further venue details, detailed agendas and speaker bios. It
is easy to automatically generate an "Event Details" web page
that makes it easy to provide extra details that people need
during their registration process.

6. Send instant confirmations
Give your registrants ‘warm-fuzzies’ by instantly confirming
that their registration is complete. Increase your conversion
rates by offering an extra e-freebie that you can include in
your confirmation email along with their receipt/invoice and
other event materials. The immediate follow-up that an
automated confirmation email provides will increase your
attendees’ confidence in referring others to attend your
event.

7. Notify registrants of incomplete forms.
50% of potential registrants start, but do not complete their
registrations. Send them an automated email letting them know
that your event is well worth attending – along with a link
back to your registration form. Give them five more reasons to
attend or an extra incentive to complete their registration.
There is only one system that currently offers this
capability.

8. Provide a self-service option.
Automated services enable users to make changes to their
registrations online... versus having to call or email the
event organizer. Give the attendee more control and reduce
staff time in managing these changes. By promoting this option
to registrants, more people will register because they won’t
feel locked into their registration preferences.

A fully-automated online registration system is specifically
designed to make it easier for you and your registrants...
attracting 20% more attendees in the process.

I sincerely hope this
article makes your conference and
event registration even more successful!

Bill Flagg is the
President of RegOnline
Putting smiles on the faces of over 9,200 event-planning
professionals worldwide because it is the easiest-to-use
online event and
conference registration system available.

Of course you have. For most
people, there comes a point when attending meetings or
conferences when the brain becomes overloaded. Even if it is
content that is interesting to you, there comes a point of
saturation where you simply cannot take in anything else. You
are fried! You need a break.

So why do so many people
think that when it comes to meetings, trainings, and
conventions that they must pack in content, content, content
to the exclusion of anything else? We've all seen it at
conferences: the person standing at the lectern, using
PowerPoint, droning into the microphone: "And that concludes
our analysis of the proposed multilateral trading initiatives.
Now let's discuss these multilateral initiatives as they apply
to penguins." Good gravy.

Television and the internet
have lowered the attention span of the modern adult. In order
to stay engaged, meeting attendees need variety and
multi-sensory stimulation to have their mood uplifted and
their concentration enhanced throughout the day.

Thankfully, there are many
meeting professionals who understand the value in providing
motivation and humor during their conferences and meetings.

Engage Your
Attendees with Motivation and Humor

We live in an
entertainment-based culture. It is not enough to simply
present a "data-dump" of information and expect people to stay
tuned in. To keep meeting attendees engaged throughout the
day, many seasoned meeting planners use the following formula:

Motivational or humorous
speaker for morning general session to kick off the day with
a bang.

Content-rich breakout
sessions in alignment with learning objectives that are led
by presenters who are well-versed in adult learning
principles.

Motivational or business
humor speaker after lunch to reenergize attendees for the
afternoon breakout sessions.

More content-rich breakout
sessions in alignment with learning objectives that allow
for learner application and interaction.

High energy wrap-up to end
the day on a positive note.

This format energizes,
motivates, and connects people during the general sessions, so
that they can refocus and reengage in significant learning
throughout the day. Because attendees aren't suffering from
information overload, they are more likely to be fully present
in their learning experiences during the breakout sessions.
According to Debbie Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Events and
Speakers, there is great value in adding motivational humor to
the general sessions of a conference: "Laughing and learning
go hand in hand. Humor holds the audience's attention and
helps them to think creatively. It releases stress and creates
great memories. Find a way to add humor to your meeting and
you will see an increase in the bottom line."

Build a Positive
Community Through Humor

Besides creating educational
opportunities, meetings and conventions are also occasions to
build community. When people laugh together, they are bonded
in a positive experience. These good feelings create a
positive association with the organization in which they are
members. It allows for deeper a connection among attendees.

Cara Tracy, CMP, meeting
planner for the National Speakers Association, uses humor at
their conferences throughout the year. "At our meetings we
like to lighten up a content-filled program by kicking it off
with humor. This raises the energy level in the room and
engages the audience--setting the stage for a successful
learning environment. I find that the use of humor in meetings
can really help unite a group--giving them inside jokes to
laugh about when they get back to the office or to carry a
funny incident throughout the event."

When planning your meeting,
in addition to assessing your learning objectives, also ask
yourself, "What experience do I want to create?" Then, use the
general sessions as the time to create those positive
experiences. Additionally, make sure that you allow ample
networking time for the attendees to share their insights and
laughter in order to enhance the feeling of community.

Engagement +
Community=ROI

Utilizing motivation and
humor can increase attendee satisfaction. Furthermore, it can
make learning stick because attendees are more alert and
engaged throughout the meeting. When attendees are satisfied
and learning, there is a greater chance that an improvement in
behavior and results will follow, thus increasing your ROI. If
your attendees are tuned out and overloaded, your ROI suffers.

Mark LeBlanc, President of
the National Speakers Association adds: "Humor is one of those
intangible elements of a presentation that is invaluable.
Without it, even the best strategies and ideas can fall flat.
It's the intangibles that drive the tangibles and make them
stick. It turns a meeting into an experience."

A meeting without levity is
like a joke without a punchline...it flops. However, a meeting
that creates a positive experience while offering educational
value is priceless.

Tim and Kris O'Shea of
The O'Shea Report provide comic relief for meetings and
conventions. As experts in
business humor and
corporate comedy, they are one of the most respected humor
teams in the meetings industry. The O'Sheas travel from coast
to coast, presenting to such organizations as Nordstrom,
Hewlett Packard, Travelers Express/MoneyGram, and the American
Payroll Association.

To learn how The O'Shea
Report can wake up your meeting, visit
http://www.theosheareport.com Copyright 2007 Tim and
Kris O'Shea
(You may republish this article with byline)

Have you ever wondered what the
real cost of mediocrity within your organization might be?
Sales managers must wake up! Has there ever been a time when a
mess-up by someone internally, proved to be quite costly in
both money/resources and time/energy? Has there been a time
when a mess-up by someone in your organization caused a huge
toll on an outsider, i.e. supplier or customer?

In the world of selling,
mediocrity can demand untold costs. In selling, there are
generally two categories: hunters and farmers. The hunters are
the sales people, both inside and outside, that specialize in
going after new business—their thrust is the hunt, bringing in
new customers. Farmers on the other hand specialize in
nurturing house accounts and business that the hunters have
brought in. Too often, organizations will settle for farmers
that are mediocre, or careless and don’t tend to their crops.
The prices businesses or organizations pay for allowing this
kind of behavior are truly unnecessary.

My first real job in outside
sales, other than selling encyclopedias door-to-door, was in
selling to retailers. The owner of the business, Ray Kahn,
once told me, “If you lose an account because you were out
sold, it’s okay. But, if you lose an account because you
weren’t paying attention to that account—you’re out of here!”
Several years later, I saw first-hand that he meant it. Ray
fired a hunter/farmer salesman, Mike that had been with him
for a decade. Unfortunate for all that were involved, Mike got
complacent and lazy, losing a major account because he wasn’t
paying attention to the needs of the customer.

When a farmer doesn’t pay
attention, it is an absolute travesty. Mike was an okay
hunter, but not a great farmer. This situation is not unusual.
If you manage sales people and you tolerate a farmer not
tending to their crops (accounts), I believe that you are just
as guilty as your farmer sales person. It is you, after all,
to whom they are accountable.

Not long ago, I traveled to
the American East Coast to speak on selling at a chapter of
the National Speakers Association (NSA), of which I am a
member in Los Angeles. This NSA chapter had been meeting at
the same suburban area hotel on the same Saturday of each
month for the previous three years. This particular Saturday
in January was to be different.

The “you know what” hit the
fan late Friday night. Following dinner that evening, my
contact with the group dropped me back at the hotel where I
was staying and where the meeting would be the next day. In
passing, she asked if I knew that I’d be presenting the next
morning in the hotel’s restaurant…during regular service
hours…to the public? Their usual meeting room had been booked
out from under them. Well, that was a surprise that was to me.

Three days earlier, when the
NSA Chapter’s program chair called the hotel to check if
everything was in place for their coming Saturday meeting, the
hotel sales contact, Lois, told the program chair that they
had no reservation for the group for the coming Saturday. And,
Lois told the program chair that the room they usually use,
along with every other meeting room and space in the hotel was
also sold out. Wow, what a predicament! Even worse, Lois
offered no possible solutions to a long-time customer.

The meeting chair asked Lois
how this could be? Especially since the group had been using
that meeting room the same Saturday of the month for the past
three years and had an on-going relationship. Lois answered by
stating that she thought it was odd that the organization had
not signed a contract for the coming year. Lois continued by
stating that since the hotel’s customers “call them” she
didn’t give it a second thought. Excuse me! If I was Lois’
boss, I’d do to her what Ray Kahn did to Mike—fire ‘em! There
is no excuse for this kind of behavior.

That farmer, Lois, definitely
was not tending her crops (accounts). Can you believe it?
Worse, the sales person was ignorant enough to state, “Our
customers call us.” She sold the room out from under this
group. Perhaps because the group to whom she sold the room was
generating higher revenue? Perhaps she was only mindful of her
commission check? Perhaps it was her way of telling this NSA
Chapter that they were no longer welcome at that property?

The Real Cost

What do you think might be
the real cost to the hotel from Lois’ debacle?

To the credit of the hotel’s
General Manager, late that Friday evening, I worked with him
and food & beverage (F&B) manager for over an hour looking at
possibilities to make the next day’s presentation work, even
though it was to be in the hotel’s restaurant, during service
hours to the general public. The hotel general manager
explained to me that he, and his staff had been working on the
problem for the past three days. They had even called other
hotels to try and move the meeting—but without success.

Let’s take a rough look at
the real cost to this hotel: A hotel general manager making
around $100,000 a year, working a six-day work week equates to
about $333 per working day. If we take into account that the
general manager, food & beverage manager, sales staff and
others had been dealing with the issue for three days and just
add up the general manager’s pay, that gives us about $1,000
cost to the hotel. I’m sure Lois’ commission on the sale of
the room and F&B was nowhere near that much.

Now let’s add in the damage
to both the national brand and that particular location. This
group happened to be a gathering of local-area professional
speakers. Since many are intimately familiar with hotels,
their expectations tend to be a bit higher than most. What
will they say to local meeting planners about this hotel? I
doubt it would be complimentary. If the approximately 50
professional speakers mention the situation to only one
meeting planner over the following year—that’s potentially 50
local meeting planners that have received a poor report about
this property. What’s the cost of that?

If only one of those 50
meeting planners decided not to book a meeting at that
property based on what they heard, how many thousands of
dollars would that property not receive in future revenue
because of Lois’ behavior? Let alone the tarnished perception
of this particular brand nationally could cost the chain
dollars. Surely it would be more that Lois’ commission on that
particular room, on that particular Saturday.

The Rest of The Story

This had been the second time
that this property, or should I say Lois, had pulled this kind
of situation on that particular NSA Chapter. As such, the
board of directors immediately decided to start looking for
another property at which to hold their monthly meetings. By
the next month’s meeting, the chapter had already found a new
home for their monthly meetings. That adds even more to the
real cost, as the revenue from the chapter was valuable to the
hotel during slow times.

Gosh, because that farmer,
Lois, was too unorganized, oblivious, lazy, apathetic,
ignorant or greedy, the real cost to the hotel’s productivity
and revenue was, and will continue to be, substantial. What
does this mean to you? In selecting and/or maintaining the
wrong people to represent your organization’s interests, you
will pay dearly for their impoverishment of skills.

Solutions

The TEA Master Key should
prove helpful. The three key areas necessary to explore in
serving your customers well are: Training, Ego and Attitude.

!. Training your employees
well is a given, the subtleties are in their understanding the
DNA of your organization’s culture and an advanced
understanding of how to most effectively use the “tools” that
you have made available to them. Understandably, this takes
time, but few companies devote the necessary hours to this
endeavor. And, if your employees are not continually learning,
you must re-examine the limited value they deliver to your
organization.

2. Ego is good, when kept in
check, allowing one to be confident, yet not arrogant.
Unfortunately, too many employees let their ego get in the way
of their performance, i.e. too much ego that they never admit
a mistake. Mistakes are good, if one learns from their
mistake. Years ago, Ray Kahn would say, “If you are not making
mistakes, you are not learning, and I don’t need you. But, if
you do not learn from your mistakes, I don’t need you either.”
Other ego issues revolve around one’s need to be right! In
serving customers, it is more important to get things done,
than to focus on being right.

3. Attitude can make, or
break, an employee and a customer’s perception of your
organization’s value proposition. Employees with an attitude
of apathy are like termites eating away at the fiber of your
organization and one day that fiber that holds your
organization together will give fail. On the other hand,
employees with the attitude of service, not servitude,
flourish and with them so does your organization. Give your
employees plenty of reasons to have superior attitudes—it will
serve you well.

Adapted from Rigsbee's
forthcoming book titled, Customer Service Screw
Ups--Learn from the Mistakes of Others. In this book,
Rigsbee rants about the crummy customer service he has
received and offers suggestions on how you can truly
partnering with your customers.

Ed Rigsbee, CSP is the
author of PartnerShift, Developing Strategic Alliances
and The Art of Partnering. Rigsbee has over 1,000
published articles to his credit and is a regular
keynote presenter at corporate and trade association
conferences across North America. He can be reached at
800-839-1520,
ed@rigsbee.com, or visit
http://www.rigsbee.com.

When it comes to setting up
conference meetings, everything must be perfect and planned
down to the last detail. There are a number of different
considerations to make when planning conference meetings,
including location considerations, hotel selection, cost
considerations, and one must also take into consideration the
general services offered by the venue of choice. Finding a
good venue may seem like a cumbersome task, but the proper
preplanning and forethought with ensure that conferences and
meetings go smoothly. Further, the selection of a venue will
affect the successfulness of any given event and the selection
of a venue will create a lasting impression on those that
attend an event.

The
first thing that one must plan when organising annual general
meetings, award ceremonies, conference meetings, conventions,
exhibitions, PR events, product launches, sales presentations,
or seminars requires the event planner to determine what the
primary focus of the event will be. Any event must be planned
with the end result in mind, and the focus of the event must
prove to be entertaining even if work related. Events like
seminars, product launches and sales presentations must be
something that will maintain the interest of those that
attend. By maintaining the interest of those that attend an
event, one can ensure that the attendance of future events is
secure.

When it comes to sales events
and product launches, selecting the perfect venue is an act
that cannot be overestimated in terms of importance. The
selection of an appropriate venue can literally mean the
difference between a successful product launch and an
unsuccessful one. The venue selected will ultimately leave an
impression on those that attend the sales event or product
launch: an impression that will remain with those in
attendance long after the event is over. The impression
established at a sales event or product launch will ultimately
be associated with the event and the company or the
organisation that arranged the event: thus, a venue selection
must result in a positive impression.

The second thing that must be
considered in terms of conferences and meetings is how many
people will attend. Conferences, meetings, and seminars are
established for groups both small and large. The number of
anticipated attendants will help to determine the size of the
venue required. The establishment of a list determining the
number of people expected to attend a meeting, seminar,
exhibition or convention will also determine the cost of the
venue in question: larger meeting spaces may cost more than
smaller ones. If a larger meeting room is not required, there
is little sense in paying the additional fees associated with
the use of a larger meeting area.

After determining the size of
an event, a venue can be chosen: once the number of people
expected to attend is determined, an event planner will have a
solid idea of the size of the venue required. How one chooses
a venue will depend up convenience: the event should be hosted
in an area where it is easily accessible to those attending
the event. Of course, if an event planner is not intimately
familiar with a particular location, they may not immediately
realise where all of the best locations for an event are: it
may be wise to speak with a knowledgable event organiser and
planner in such an instance. An organiser can help plan every
step of a conference meeting or event, taking away a major
burden from a corporation or organisation looking to host an
event.

When a location is chosen,
the type of menus available must also be considered, as well
as available transportation to and from the location. Before
selecting a venue, one will need to review the general
services offered. Good questions to ask are questions
pertaining to available entertainment, what forms of
entertainment are permissible, and what fees are involved with
the use of the location. To find the best prices in terms of a
venue search, it may prove beneficial if one relies on the
knowledge of an event organiser; event organisers are not only
familiar with the best venues, but they are also knowledgeable
about the venues that will generate the least in terms of
expense.

Whether your meetings are
conference meetings, sales presentations, PR events, product
launches, annual general meetings, conventions, exhibitions,
seminars, award ceremonies or you want to host one or more
team building events, the selection of a venue is critical. It
may be necessary for you to rely on the services of a
qualified conference organiser to ensure that your conference
meetings are perfect. Micromanaging every detail of a
conference will help to ensure a positive outcome for the
event and for all individuals that attend. By utilising the
services of professional event organiser, a company or
organisation can ensure that the event is not only successful,
but also hassle-free.

It's important to talk to the
right person when trying to get a great deal, that means
someone who has the authority to negotiate with you. You can
ask to speak to the Sales Manager or if they have a dedicated
staff for meeting and event coordinating, speak to the manager
of that department. Remember to research comparable room
prices in the area online so that you'll have a good point of
reference to bring to the negotiation table. It does take some
advanced planning to get the best deals, but hotel room prices
are more flexible than the average person realizes.

Be aware of the seasons and try
to schedule your seminar during a time when the hotel's
business is typically slow. Getting a great room at a great
price will always be easier when the hotel isn't full. If
you're booking a block of rooms for seminar guests and
speakers in addition to the meeting room, you're also more
likely to get a better price for both. Several popular hotel
chains have extensive planning tools available online so be
sure to take advantage of the wealth of information made
available.

Once you've got a list of
possible venues together, you can start contacting the sales
department of each hotel and sending them your request for
proposal or RFP. Make sure your RFP includes preferred dates,
number and type of sleeping rooms you require, food and
beverage requirements, a tentative agenda and the amount of
meeting space that is needed. Based on the hotels' responses
to your RFP, you should be able to narrow down the field of
possibilities and schedule some site inspections. To save both
money and time, you can substitute an actual site inspection
with a detailed questionnaire, virtual tour or both!

When you start negotiations,
always remember that everything is negotiable. If the group
generates sufficient guestroom and food and beverage revenue,
the meeting room rental fees can and should be waived. If
you're planning a reoccurring event, you can also use your
loyalty as leverage.

Once you've weighed your
options and made your decision, make sure everything, big and
small, is outlined in explicit detail in the written contract.
Deposit procedures and acceptable methods of payment are two
things that should be agreed upon before you sign anything.

After the event, take your
time going over the invoice with a fine-toothed comb. The
first draft of the invoice from the hotel is almost never
correct so be sure to point out anything that needs to be
corrected. Get feedback about the hotel from the seminar
attendees. If there are complaints, politely let your hotel
representative know about them. Any good salesperson will
gladly offer an additional discount to ensure that you
consider them again next year.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best
Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent
Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning
Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success
Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful
Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips
Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at
http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or
http://promotingtips.com.

Planning a meeting, corporate
event or conference can be a trying task - particularly if you
expect the event to be a large one. But before you despair
over thoughts of potential meeting mishaps, remember that
there is help at hand.

There are a number of comprehensive resources to which you can
turn when planning a meeting or event - from extensive
checklists to professional event planners. And whether you're
a practiced corporate event planner or are about to embark on
your first ever event-planning effort, it's always essential
to make full use of these resources.

One of your most significant
event planning resources will likely be the venue at which you
choose to hold your event. That's because event venues are
usually equipped with a range of internal event services and
facilities, such as audio-visual technology and dedicated
event staff. However, you'll likely still need to outsource
various other services, such as transportation and
accommodation (if the event requires travel) and possibly even
catering services. In the end, all the outsourcing can amount
to a lot more work than you had bargained for - meaning the
organization of your event might face compromise.

However, certain types of
venues, such as hotels, can offer a comprehensive set of event
services through a single facility, meaning that your event
planning package can encompass all of your meeting
requirements. For instance, many hotels operate divisions that
specialise in organizing
hotel meetings and events, in addition to providing
meeting facilities, catering and event staff, as well as guest
accommodation - so you'll be covered in terms of both meeting
services and event facilities.

Moreover, hotels can offer
exclusive services which are personalised to ensure success
for you and your event - so you can expect your event to run
according to your company's unique needs and requirements. And
finally, you'll find countless hotels that are ideally
situated for business travel, whether that means being located
in close proximity to the airport or having easy access to the
city's business district.

So, whether you're planning a
large corporate conference or a small company meeting, you'll
have a number of essential factors to consider. Choosing to
hold your meetings and events at a hotel will give you access
to a wide range of meeting and events facilities, as well as
tailored support to produce a successful event - meaning that
no factor will be overlooked.

Andrew Regan is an online,
freelance journalist who lists traveling and rugby among
his interests.

Hotel Directory lists
Hotels With Meeting Space Conference Centers Training Rooms And Meeting
Rooms For Rent
Venuechooser.com is an Internet based Hotel Meeting Space directory that
allows individuals and businesses a quick way to locate hotels conference
centers and training facilities where they can conduct training events
business meetings or other events.

Venuechooser.com is the sister site of FindaSeminar.com a training seminar
search engine and is also part of the Training News Network that
includes Seminar news network dotcom as well as seminar brochures find
training find seminars and hundreds of other seminar and training related
websites.

Hotel events sales managers can list
their hotel training facility or conference center in the hotel meeting
space directory for a nominal annual fee where it will be seen by
individuals event planners and training coordinators.

The hotel meeting space directory lists
thousands of hotels with meeting space including meeting rooms
furnished and designed for training seminars conferences and workshops.

Many of the hotels listed in the hotels
meeting space directory also include lodging and dining facilities
equipped to accomodate groups of all sizes.

for more information about how to find or
rent meeting space at hotels in your area and around the U.S. and Canada
pleaes visit
http://www.venuechooser.com

Tips for Choosing a Hotel

Whether you stay at a hotel occasionally
for vacation or you are a road warrior business person who feels like
you spend half of your life in hotels, here are 6 ways to make your stay
at a hotel more enjoyable.

1.
Before you go to sleep on the first night, make sure that the alarm
clock is set for the time you want and that the television does not have
an auto-on feature. People will sometimes set these for the middle of
the night as a prank on the next person in the room, since the cleaning
staff will rarely check them.

2. Bring your own refreshments since
refreshments provided in the bar fridge found in the hotel room are
often exorbitantly priced.

3. Bring any problems that you
encounter to the attention of the front desk as soon as you see them so
that they do not assume it was you that left the room in that condition.
For example, if you are missing a towel, let them know right away so
they don't think you stole it!

4. Hotels are charging for local calls
now, and sometimes by the minute, so make sure to clarify upfront any
potential telephone costs. Often, going down to the lobby and using the
payphone there is much cheaper, even if it is not the most convenient.

5. It is okay to demand excellence from
the hotel because you are paying good money to stay there. Just demand
it in a polite and reasonable way and always with a smile.

6. A hotel, like a car-rental company
or a video-rental store, has a fixed number of income producing units.
These units are used by customers who are not always as accommodating to
your schedule as you'd like them to be. If you get to the hotel and find
that your room is not ready, relax! You'll find that by being patient
and understanding, the hotel staff will bend over backwards to make sure
you are happy; while, if you are abrupt and impatient, they will provide
only the service that you're paying for, and they'll do so grudgingly.
Remember, it is rarely the desk clerk's fault that your room is not
ready for you. More often than not, it is because another customer was
late leaving their room.

These six ideas will help you have a
more enjoyable stay the next time you have to stay at a hotel.

Running a guest house, bed and breakfast
or small hotel isn't easy. With so many tasks competing for your
immediate attention it is little wonder that some jobs get put off until
later. Unfortunately, the task that gets dropped most often is the
hotels marketing and promotion, which is possibly the most important job
in the whole business.

So in
order to give your hotel marketing the attention it deserves in order to
deliver the results your hotel needs, your hotel marketing plan should
include four key elements:

A stream of eager traffic

In order to stay profitable, hotels
need a constant supply of fresh customers to fill their rooms. It is
essential therefore that you put your marketing message in front of as
many interested prospects as possible.

To do this you need to place your
message where your customers gather. For example, if you are selling
golf breaks, it would be a waste of your time and effort to advertise in
a sports car magazine. It makes more sense to target golf magazines or
websites, or possibly business publications aimed at your particular
demographic.

An Irresistible Offer

Once you have found what marketing
legend, Gary Halbert called 'a hungry crowd' it is important to present
to them an irresistible offer. The key here is in the word irresistible.
Having worked so hard to attract your viewers' attention it would be
foolish to make a weak, feeble or bland offer.

Simply offering the same breaks at the
same rate as all your competitors will do nothing to make you stand out
from the crowd. Be unique, create packages that nobody else offers and
you will go a long way to eliminating your competition.

Hotel Marketing Automation

The biggest improvement you could make
to your hotel marketing is by introducing automation into the mix. Why?
Because once you automate your efforts they become a system that is both
repeatable and predictable.

Simply do the work once and let your
system do the monotonous tasks without anything more than a watchful eye
from you. This frees up your time so that you can tackle the more
demanding issues of the day.

Rinse And Repeat

Set up the perfect marketing system
that ticks away on autopilot? Well, why not develop another package that
targets another demographic and set up another marketing stream to
target them? Remember, the hardest part of any task is taking that very
first step.

By creating a number of diverse
marketing streams you are effectively spreading your marketing net
wider. This means that you are targeting your customers with pinpoint
accuracy rather than the wasteful blanket approach used by most
hoteliers. As a result you no longer focus on price-cutting or deep
discounts in order to put heads on beds.

Mark Heywood has created a short 35
page report that lays out exactly how to create and implement an
autopilot hotel marketing system that you simply fit and forget at
Hotel Marketing Secrets

You may have the most wonderful hotel in
the world, with gorgeous landscaping, comfortable rooms, and impeccable
service, but if guests don't know about it, your occupancy rates will be
a continual disappointment. In this day and age, the most critical
component of hotel marketing is great hotel website design.

Why Hotel Website Design?

The numbers say it all. During 2007, almost a third of all hotel
revenues will be generated by online channels. Moreover, over half of
your target audience's decision-making is influenced by the Internet.
Over a third of hotel guests choose their hotel based on online
research, but book through another channel. The remainder researched
their choices through an Internet portal, but then tried to book
directly with the travel provider.

Without great hotel web site design, it's as if you printed 1,000
beautiful, four-color, ten-page brochures that stunningly captured the
unique nature of your hotel at ten dollars apiece, and then locked them
away in a cupboard. How effective would they be? The "look and feel" is
vitally important in motivating visitors to explore your hotel product,
and in guiding them to buy, but without the right technology, site
structure, and navigation methods, you will only have marginal online
revenues.

Hotel Search Engine Optimization

Even if you have a wonderful hotel web site design, if no one can find
your website when they are searching online for that "luxury San Diego
hotel," that "romantic B&B outside Paris," or that "adventure scuba
holiday in the Maldives," it's as though you didn't have a website at
all.

The way that potential guests will find your hotel web site is through
search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is both an art
and a science - and shouldn't be left to amateurs. Search engine
optimization techniques will enable your hotel website to be returned
high in the rankings of search engine results - a critical element of
effective online hotel marketing.

Factors to Consider

When choosing a marketing company for your hotel website design, make
sure that they understand and meet these goals:

Too often, hotel websites are developed in reverse, placing the emphasis
on design rather than on generating website traffic. The key is to
balance traffic generation effectiveness, the site's "look and feel,"
and conversion techniques to produce a hotel web site that looks great,
gets plenty of traffic that converts into bookings.

Find a Hotel Website Design Company

Today, Internet design and marketing companies have specializations. In
order to get the best return on investment, it's best to choose a
website design company that specializes in hotel website design. Make
sure that their approach adheres to the following guidelines -
otherwise, keep shopping. The company should:

* Identify your visitors' expectations and intentions
* Work with you to clarify your own objectives
* Develop a hotel website revenue conversion strategy
* Determine site components that satisfy both design and search engine
optimization goals
* Map our "click paths" that will lead to conversion

Your hotel website design and search engine optimization are the two
keys to generating the kind of traffic that will keep your occupancy
rates in the stratosphere!

Market intelligence simply put, tells you
where your revenue opportunities exist. Gathering intelligence on your
competitors and your hotel's performance compared to theirs need not be
a burdensome and challenging task. We used to call it "knowing your
competition." How they stack up in terms of product and service, who
they are, how they operate and who are their customers were some of the
facts we needed to find out.

The
tools used to uncover this information used to be a combination of gut
instinct, interviewing their client base, poaching their staff and years
of getting to know their hotels and those in charge. In today's
data-filled environment there is significantly more market intelligence
that is more accurate, timelier and much easier to come by. If someone
had told me when I was a junior sales person with Hilton more than 20
years ago that I could easily get reports like the ones below, I would
have jumped at the chance, even if I had to pay for the information
myself; on my $11,000 a year salary!

Of course the "Grand Daddy" of all
market intelligence tools has got to be Smith Travel Research's STAR
reports. Creating an industry that didn't exist, Randy Smith has become
the go-to guy for market data. Is there any hotel out there that is not
getting this information on their monthly to year-to-date hotel
performance in the areas of rate, occupancy and RevPar as compared
against their competition, price points and market area? A must have to
understand where you are so that you can plan where you need to be.
Click here for more information on STAR reports.

Remember the days of sending out the
junior sales manager to scope out the competitors' reader boards?
Driving from hotel to hotel to conference center... well, for hotels
seeking groups to fill rooms and meeting space these trips are a thing
of the past! INSIGHT from the Knowland Group launched in September of
this year. The company promises to "dramatically alter the way sales
managers find group business". INSIGHT is a simple computer application
combining Google's search engine and mapping technology with a
searchable database tool that provides sales managers with qualified
targeted sales leads on hundreds of thousands of events, groups and
meeting planners every day, across every hotel brand, type, shape and
size including freestanding conference centers. This market intelligence
is currently available in over 70 markets within the United States and
Canada. Click here for more information on INSIGHT.

Do you know how well your hotel
performs against the competition through the various Global Distribution
Systems (GDS)? The Hotelligence report from TravelClick is an
outstanding example of how to gather this type of market intelligence.
It provides historical information on your local market's hotel bookings
made through the GDS's (which are used by over 98% of worldwide travel
agents) and through the major Internet sites. The report allows
hoteliers to analyze the success of their direct sales effort by
monitoring market share as well as review the impact of your rate and
inventory decisions. The report demonstrates the number of room nights
and average rate on a monthly basis of all reservations through these
channels and where they booked (your hotel or your competitors'). It
identifies the booking travel agent and often even the corporate source
of the business. This report will help you learn if and how much your
accounts are "sleeping around", who is doing the philandering and who
hasn't slept with you yet! It's worth every penny unless your sales team
does not do anything with it... ask your sales team how they are
utilizing this invaluable tool to book more business. For more
information on Hotelligence and TravelClick click here.

Knowing what has happened through such
reports as STAR and Hotelligence is good but predicting the future is
even better. TravelClick also offers a sister report to Hotelligence
called FuturePACE which provides data on the actual future bookings from
the GDS channels on a day-by-day basis so that hoteliers can improve
revenues through advance insights into the performance of current rate
strategies and marketing efforts for their hotel and those of the
competition. Providing revenues, room nights, average rates and market
penetration information for the current and next two months out, you can
count on this report to be invaluable to identify unusual demand or
shoulder days so that they can be addressed before they happen. Click
here for more information.

With some hoteliers still believing
that discounting increases profits (how many times are we going to have
to prove this myth wrong) and bouncing their rates up and down like a
schoolyard basketball, you may need to identify these culprits so that
you can drive to their hotel and deliver a copy of the Cornell report
"Why Discounting Doesn't Work" by Linda Canina Ph.D., Cathy A. Enz Ph.D.
and Mark Lomanno.

To check out your competitors pricing
and what rates they're really selling on their website, on internet
sites and on the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) try on-line search
tools like TravelAXE, TravelZoo, Orbitz and Expedia. TravelClick also
offers a very comprehensive to-the-industry report called RateVIEW that
includes rate data from Internet Sites, brand web sites as well as the
GDS.

It is now known that about one-third of
all hotel bookings are made on the Internet. Of these Internet users,
more than half will use a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Ask.com
to research hotels and nearly 70% will check rates from at least three
websites prior to booking. The growing trend towards the internet
booking channel is dramatic. How does your hotel stack up on the web?
Web analytical tools (web market intelligence) can capture the buying
behavior of your guests and measure your website traffic origination
points that have the best conversion rates, detail which online or print
ads produce revenues and track down the success of search engine
pay-per-click campaigns by identifying exactly how much revenue was
booked. Overall they allow you to understand how today's consumer sees
your hotel from rank on the search engines to third party sites. An even
more important emerging area of the web, the "social media" or what is
also known as "Web or Travel 2.0" can also track online consumer reviews
of your property and can assist you in maximizing this exciting new
opportunity in hotel marketing. In short, knowing how you stack up on
the web is vital to today's sales success. Tools for measuring your web
success are available through Merlin Metrics from A Couple of Chicks
Marketing and SearchVIEW from TravelClick.

There are many things hoteliers
especially those in the sales functions should know about their local
markets. How much does your sales leadership know about their success
against the competition; where their revenue opportunities lie; the
groups staying in competing hotels; their GDS market share; what
corporations are staying at the competition; what upcoming periods
represent surprise peaks or valleys in revenues; what rates your
competitors are really selling or your hotel's success in selling
through what will become the primary booking channel, the Internet? If
these questions go unanswered, you're not sure how your hotel measures
up or worse yet, there is no action plan around the market intelligence
you have gathered, it may be time to assess and seek assistance from
experts.

If You Build it, They
Will Come-Not!

About twice a week now I am contacted by a
hotel General Manager or Marketing Director who has seen some of the
recent research figures for hotel internet revenues that says something
like “In 2005 hotel revenues from the internet were 25.0% of all hotel
room revenues…”.

The conversation
very quickly gets to “I’ve just checked my on-line revenues and they are
nowhere near that. What can we do?”

Naturally, the first thing I do is look
at their web site. Some are visually stunning, especially on a high
speed connection…beautiful “flash” movies (loading, loading, loading),
navigation buttons that do pirouettes, music…and usually a mega
investment has been made (please give me the name of that sales person,
I have some sand that I would like them to sell for me in the Middle
East)…and barely an extra room night to show for it.

Why? Because the site turns up on page
17 on Google, Yahoo! or MSN when you search for a suitable keyword or
phrase (usually “destination + hotel” eg “Sydney hotel” is the most
popular search term in most cities).

70-80% of online activity is people
searching for something…all those lost souls who are eager to buy your
hotel rooms, if only they could find you…in fact in one recent case,
when I was searching for the prospective client’s hotel by it’s very own
name their web site turned up way back on page 8 of Google. You and I
both know that when we search, if it ain’t on pages 1 or 2 or at a pinch
page 3, we’re just not going to look further…and neither does anyone
else.

If you retain nothing more from my
article please remember this: search engines are blind to images (and
deaf if you play music on your site) and especially can’t see “flash”
movie files or the text in those fancy navigation buttons (these are
images too)…a search engine is a code and text driven binary agent that
reads written instructions and words…so without the right code in the
“back” of your site and the right text and density of keywords on the
“front” pages of your site…you just won’t turn up in the first few pages
of search results.

Don’t get me wrong…there IS a place for
great visuals and dynamic, inspiring content AFTER you have got them to
your site. The overuse and abuse of these dynamic elements is indeed a
hurdle to your search engine results, but once the user has arrived,
then you need some “bells and whistles” to convert them into a sale
(more about conversion in one of my next articles).

Some web sites I see, even for premium
properties, are just dogs that were last updated in 2003 (because every
time they want a change their designer charges like a wounded bull); and
lots of others are in-between but because the sites are not actively
managed, they still don’t turn up in the first few pages.

Believe the research data! With 25% of
revenues arriving via online channels and a further 25% being influenced
by their online experience but booking via another channel, you just
have to get your head into this space. Can you imagine what would happen
if you ignored your convention market or stopped dealing with the travel
industry…as a first step.

Over the next couple of articles I’ll
address some of the other questions that I usually ask such as: what
e-mail marketing they are doing and how, have they investigated the
Pay-per-click options at Google Adwords, Yahoo! Search Marketing or MSN
(coming soon) or how easy is it to book on their site. I’ll also touch
on conversion but let’s focus in the short term on driving traffic to
your site.

So, what can you do? Invest in the
Search Engine Optimisation of you site… the art and science of
maximising a web site’s ranking in the “natural” Search Engine Results
for a key phrase. There is a lot to understand but if you visit our web
site you will find some very useful tips and specific things that you
can do to optimise your hotel web site…or of course you could give me a
call or send me an e-mail and I would be more than happy walk you
through the basic principles.

And you know what? I never get calls
from hotels that have a smart, well designed but not too “tizzy” site.
One that is edited in-house utilising a user-friendly Content Management
System. Sites where you can easily navigate around without needing a
helmet lamp and pick, that have fresh, recent content and special
value-added packages; where you can actually book in real-time through a
secure connection and get an instant confirmation. And when you need to
make an online enquiry, it is easy and doesn’t ask for my shoe size and
twenty other compulsory fields before begrudgingly sending off the data,
only for it to take two days for someone to respond…

These sites already turn up in the
first few pages, offer a great user experience and these hotels actively
manage their online presence…they are well on their way to achieving and
exceeding those 25.0% of revenues online that the research people are
telling us…and, pardon the shameful plug but, quite a few of them are
our clients!

Keith Paulin is the General Manager
of Hotel Marketing Workshop (http://www.hotelmarketingworkshop.com).
Like many hotel marketeers in the industry Keith “landed” in hotel
sales and marketing after commencing his career in hotel
operations. Keith has worked in senior marketing roles both within
the industry (Hilton, Regent, Hyatt, Accor) and in other
industries (HP, Lion Nathan, Shell) and has formal qualifications
in Marketing and Business Management. Hotel Marketing Workshop
works with chain and independent hotels delivering tactical,
practical hotel marketing strategies at property level that work
and, just as importantly, they assist with expert implementation.
Keith has a very strong interest in the world of e-commerce,
Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing and a clear
track record in producing on-line results in hotel internet
marketing.

I’ve always wanted to write a headline
like “10 Lessons Guaranteed to Improve…”. You see these all the time and
they attract an incredible number of readers and eyeballs…but then I
almost changed my mind. Usually, when you read through the article you
discover that the “lessons” are generally a sales blurb for the company.

Like me a few years ago, I’m sure that
what you really want are some very specific tips on what you can do,
today, to make your hotel website more prominent in the Search Engine
Results Pages (or if you like acronyms, the SERP’s). So, not to
disappoint you, here are 8 sure fire, practical things to do including,
at the end of this article, a final tip that always produces results.

1 - Make your web site the default for
your browser and on all the PC’s at your hotel

Why I hear you ask? So that every time
you or one of your team open a browser, you are confronted with your
Home Page…when was the last time you really looked at your website?.
Pretty soon you will begin to get bored with the way it looks or the
content…as do your customers! And you will do something about it…our
research has proven that web sites that regularly update their content
do much better in the SERP’s than static sites. Plus, regular visitors
to your site will also gain a good impression and sales conversion
levels will go up too.

Follow closely with me as we are going
to do this NOW…Open your favourite browser, enter your URL (www.yourwebsite.com)
in the address bar, click go. Once your web page has loaded, click on
Tools at the top of the page, select Internet Options. A dialogue box
will open and on the General Tab you should see Home Page…now click on
Use Current (the instructions are very similar for the Firefox
browser)…your website will now load every time you open a browser. And
suddenly its profile has become much more important to you…

The other interesting thing that will
happen is that your team members will also start to give you suggestions
and feedback on your website…they too will see it every time they open a
browser. Many will start to write material or supply images from events
that you can include on some sub-pages…and your website will come alive.

2 – Get your competitors to tell you
the keywords you need to know

Ah…thought that would get your
attention. Next, you need to discover the keywords that drive online
business in your city or region…there are a few ways to do this, but
here is an easy one. Go to Google or your favourite Search Engine and
search for “your destination” and “hotel” (eg New York hotel) and look
at the results in the first page. Click on the top one and when the page
loads, right click in a clear space on the page. Notepad should open and
you will be able to see the code that actually writes the page that you
were on.

Somewhere near the top you will see
some coding called “title”, “meta name="keywords" content=, and “meta
name="description" content=…unless they have been particularly sneaky,
you should be able to see an indication of the words that the webmaster
thinks are important to include on the page to enable Search Engines to
find it.

Do this for the next three or four
sites on the Search Engine listing and you will start to see a pattern
emerge…great isn’t it? Don’t you love it when the competition starts
telling you how to improve your SERP ranking?

3 – Open a Google Adwords or Yahoo!
Search Marketing account. Now that you have some hints as to what your
keywords should be, you need to build on this list. We use more
sophisticated tools but both Google and Yahoo! Search Marketing have
keyword tools that will suggest additional keywords based on the ones
you have uncovered so far. Eventually, this account will let you produce
ads for the “Sponsored Links” part of their pages (we’ll tell you more
in another article)…but for now we are just going to utilise their
keyword tools.

Go to the Google Home Page for your
country. Below the search box click on Advertising Programmes and then
click on Google Adwords and then click on the Sign Up Now button…now is
not the time to chicken out, be brave.

This will be the best $5-10.00 that you
have ever spent. You will be stepped through setting up an account…when
they ask you to enter some keywords, just put in a couple of the ones
you have already identified. They will also ask you to build an ad; use
your property name as the title, and just say something nice in the
following two lines…you won’t be ready to publish yet but you have to go
through the motions to get access to the tools.

4 – Start building your own
keyword/phrase list Now click on the Tools or Keyword Tools tabs or
buttons and you will be lead through how to find even more keywords
based on the ones you already have. Using common sense and some
discussion amongst your team and perhaps even a guest or two, build up a
list of your preferred 20 keywords/phrases.

5 – Put your keywords in the title area
of your website pages The “title” area of a web page, as the cleverer of
you have already discovered, is that blue band at the very top of the
screen when a web page is loaded…that’s right, with the white text in
it. Search Engines place significant emphasis on the text that they find
in the title bar.

Ask your web designer to put some of
your keywords in the title of your home page. The most important words
at the beginning followed by a nice destinational comment that repeats
the destination name and the word hotel a second time (eg San Diego
Hotel :: leading luxury hotel in San Diego – The Classique Towers
Hotel)…do not “stuff” the title full of too many of your keywords or
repeat them more than two, or at the most, three times.

Do not start with your property name…if
you must put your property name in the title, put it at the end. Search
Engines add the most “weight” to the words at the beginning of the
title. Now, work you way down your keyword list putting different
keywords on different pages, thus creating a different keyword emphasis
for each page and add the same keywords into the text on the page.

By the way, did you notice that the
title is what most Search Engines display in the SERP’s? That’s also why
the title needs to be well written as searchers will judge whether to
click on the link based on what they read on screen.

Are you still with me?

6 – Look at your web site statistics
EVERY day Every day…this is one of the easy ones. Wherever your site is
being hosted, they are bound to provide you with at least a basic
statistical summary of how many visitors you get to your site per day
(not hits, visits), how many pages were viewed and other data. This is
usually available online with a login.

Make it a habit to log in and view your
statistics every time you start your work day. Should your web hosting
service not provide statistical data then move your site to one that
does…if you are serious about building traffic to your site and online
revenues then this is as essential as you knowing last nights results or
next months room holdings.

Nearly there…

7 – Finding out the number of sites
that link to your page Links to your page from other web sites are like
votes for your page. In simple terms, if all other content between your
site and another is equal but they have better or more links, the other
site will be delivered ahead of yours in the SERP’s. The number, theme
relevance and quality of links to your site are given significant weight
by the leading Search Engines.

To find out how many links there are to
your site currently, go to Google and in the search box type in
link:www.yourwebsite.com (for Yahoo! and MSN use
linkdomain:www.yourwebsite.com). Do it for all three because you will
see a difference in the results. Each Search Engine looks at links
differently, hence the variation in the number of Inbound Links
displayed.

Whatever the number is, you need to
double it over the next six months…slowly but surely. If you add too
many, too quickly the Search Engines get wise and start to dampen the
effect of your new links. And please, do not sign up to one of those “We
can add 10,000 links to your website in One Day for $29.95!” …they add
you to crap, spammy sites and your inbox will be full of junk in a day.
Plus, even if they do add so many links, it’s likely that the Search
Engines will either drop you from their listings or just completely
discount the links because rapid link growth is seen as being not
“natural”.

So, how do you build links? There are
lots of ways but my favourite “in house” way is to pay your Conference
and Events team $20 for every client that they get to link to your
website. Conference and Event clients are usually pretty happy to link
because your site will save them answering a bunch of questions about
the venue on their own site. The success rate is about 50.0% so if you
have 10 events a week, that’s 5 links from high quality sites per week
or 250+ a year. Within a couple of months you will start to see your
site moving up the SERP’s. “$20!” I hear you stammer? Make it $50…it’s
worth many, many times that in terms of SERP rankings and revenues.

Ah ha! I feel a disclaimer coming
on…they say that free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it. The
elements I have described here barely scratch the surface of what is
usually needed to boost you online revenues, but, the way I look at it,
it’s a start…someone very famous once said “A journey of a thousand
miles starts with a single step.” …welcome to your first 8 steps.

“But Keith, that’s only 7 essentials
for building online revenues!” you say! OK, so you think I can’t count,
but if you have made it this far, you are now way ahead of 80.0% of
hoteliers. Would you like to be in the Top 10.0% of hoteliers and be
seriously starting to grow your web revenues past 10, 20 or even 30% of
your total revenues? Well, with suitable apologies all round, now is the
time for that commercial…

8 - Register now for our “Hotel
emarketing 101” workshops.

“Hotel emarketing 101” is a one-day
workshop focussed on Hotel Search Engine Optimisation, Search Engine
Marketing, Online Media Options and Hotel Website design, development
and construction for building online revenues. With speakers from Hotel
Marketing Workshop, Google, Beyond Interactive and Binary Business these
essential emarketing workshops will be held in May 2006 in Sydney,
Brisbane and Melbourne. Visit www.hotelmarketingworkshop.com for a
brochure or to register online.

And now that the “commercial” is over,
go on…start working your way through this list…and start seeing the
results.

Keith Paulin is the General Manager
of Hotel Marketing Workshop (http://www.hotelmarketingworkshop.com).
Like many hotel marketeers in the industry Keith “landed” in hotel
sales and marketing after commencing his career in hotel
operations. Keith has worked in senior marketing roles both within
the industry (Hilton, Regent, Hyatt, Accor) and in other
industries (HP, Lion Nathan, Shell) and has formal qualifications
in Marketing and Business Management. Hotel Marketing Workshop
works with chain and independent hotels delivering tactical,
practical hotel marketing strategies at property level that work
and, just as importantly, they assist with expert implementation.
Keith has a very strong interest in the world of e-commerce,
Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing and a clear
track record in producing on-line results in hotel internet
marketing.

If you want to
secure your share of the lucrative online marketplace, think
about all the steps you will take to target Leisure,
Corporate, and Group markets for your lodging or resort. Then,
create a well-defined e-commerce market plan by clearly
identifying the tools that people use to find and book hotels
online. Open your eyes to the myriad of online channels, such
as Search Engines, Independent/Brand Websites, Email, Blogs,
GDS sites, and Travel Sites that will help you gain presence
and profit on the internet. These ten elements will make your
internet journey worth your while.

Search Engines and
Independent Websites For Lodging Industry

Get the best out of your
independent and brand websites and soar on the search engines
by defining your online marketing plan. Your initial move will
be to identify why people are traveling to your neck of the
woods.

1. Know Your Internet Market
– Identify your target market by researching what people are
searching for in your area on the internet. Then, market for
local and regional factors. Use offline and online
methodologies to determine which factors are bringing visitors
to your area .Group these reasons into a clearly identified
online marketing bucket, for example: Groups, Corporate and
Leisure.

3. Link Building . . . Make
link building an integral part of your online hotel marketing
efforts. You want to be listed wherever your customers are
going and looking. Good quality links from relevant websites
tremendously boosts your online presence and organic ranking.
Secure links from relevant and good quality local, regional,
national, and niche specific websites.

4. Increase Conversions from
your hotel website – You will increase your online conversions
by offering convenience and value. Remember, you do not have
to discount your rooms to create value packaging. Get close to
your customers needs. A good idea is to bundle local
attractions, things to do and activities as part of your hotel
packages. Packaging and quality photography converts! Make the
booking process for your hotel easy and efficient. Give your
customer ways to book your packages and rooms online.

5. Lowest Rates Guaranteed on
hotel indepwebsite– The dynamic internet is changing the way
people are making their travel and hotel arrangements. You can
secure your customer directly by employing best practices such
as rate parity across all sales channels, creating a strong
links program, email marketing, loyalty programs,
pay-per-click campaigns and last minute offers, etc. Your
ultimate goal is to create a powerful presence on the internet
through both independent and brand websites . . . and gain
customer trust and loyalty.

Following A Successful Email
Marketing Plan

6. Email Marketing – Develop
a well defined and ongoing e-marketing plan. Offer your online
guest a reason to “opt in” to your Email Offers program. Send
compelling email messaging that gives them what they are
looking for. Give reasons to come back, such as local events
and last minute offers. Track the results of all your
campaigns.

8. Tracking Return on
Investment from Hotel Website – Track your online and offline
results. Since most people searching online will call the
hotel to close the sales, offline tracking is essential.
Typically, for every one person who books online, 5 people
will call you. Establish a unique phone number for your
website, whether it is a 800-number or local number. Train
your staff to track phone results and to become familiar with
what is sold online. Your Front Desk staff is an influential
sales tool especially when it comes to closing the deal.
Establish a good tracking system at the front desk.

9. Online Tracking – Review
your website stats regularly! The key things you should review
are how many unique visitors are finding your site every day,
the top 10 referral sources, top 10 Keywords people are using
to find you, the top 10 pages generating the most traffic,
your click-through to goal conversion pages -such as
reservations, manager specials, special offers pages – and the
top 10 feeder markets. Your online marketing is constant
process of researching, strategizing, implementing, tracking,
and analyzing – not a one-time event!

The realm of e-marketing is
far-reaching and very rewarding if you utilize the many sales
channels available to your hotel – from websites to personal
emails. Creating search engine friendly brand and independent
hotel sites, compelling content, maintaining email campaigns,
and participating in travel sites and GDS will help you
achieve the competitive edge on the internet. Remember,
tracking your results will let you know what’s working and
where your revenue is coming from.

The gaming industry can really
bring prosperity to a community. Creative and consistant
casino marketing have really improved the commercial viability
and way of life of the American Indian Reservation that I live
in. My reservation is one of the oldest reservations that was
established in the state, and it also used to be the poorest.
Living conditions used to terrible and tribe members have been
suffering in poverty until they built the Indian casino on the
southern end of our reservation.

During its initial years that
casino was just a simple steel building that had a restaurant
area, a few blackjack tables and only one hundred slot
machines were available. Then the management hired a casino
marketing company to improve the business. The company began
by creating innovative advertising campaigns for radio,
television, and print. They also developed promotions and
rewards cards to attract and maintain the customers.

The results of the casino
marketing strategy were remarkable, the casino now has several
hundred tables for a variety of popular casino card games,
thousands of slot machines, four plush restaurants, and a
grand hotel with more then 500 beautiful rooms. A conference
and event center that host many concerts each year was also
added. Because of the success of the casino they have opened
another one about 45 miles away. This one is even bigger with
more hotel rooms and a golf course. The casino marketing
company made the golf, fishing, and gambling packages
successful through bold and creative strategies.

The casino business has
helped us by creating many jobs in our area. The area has also
reaped benefits from increased gasoline, bait and tackle, and
shopping sales. By doing thorough research of the other
businesses in the area the casino marketing company ensured
that the local economy is positively impacted by the casino’s
expansion. Apart from the revenue of the local businesses, the
living conditions on the reservation have also improved.

The casino marketing company
maintained the homes near the casino to make them pleasing to
the eyes of the customers. A government center, a clinic and a
school were made available to the reservation residents. The
future of the tribe members and their descendants are now
stable due to the opportunities made possible by the gaming
industry.

Morgan Hamilton offers
expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects
concerning
Casino Marketing. Visit our site for more helpful
information about
Casino Marketing and other similar topics.

"We’re planning a conference in Atlanta," he
tells me, "so get right on it." When is this conference for, Boss? A week
from Friday (this being Wednesday)? NO problem. I work miracles (that you
get the glory for) all the time! How many people?! What, only a hundred
and fifty, flying in from all over the country? No problem! I’ve heard all
about how you pulled off the feeding of five thousand people with just a
couple loaves of bread and a few fish, so I should be able to handle this.
I’ll get right on finding Atlanta Meeting Facilities.

There are a number of worthy venues in
Atlanta for meetings and conferences. How you select the right one
depends, in part, upon the nature and duration of that conference. If it’s
just a one-day event that needs a Marietta Banquet Rooms for a hours long
event, then proximity to the airport may be your only real concern
(assuming people are flying in. But if the attendees are going to be there
a while, then proximity to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport may not be as important as qualities of the convention
environment.

The focus of the group may be business,
but they’re expecting to enjoy the stay in other ways as well. For some,
that may be the opportunity to enjoy a bit of luxury away from home. For
others, it may be the chance to play 18 holes of golf. Is it summer or
winter? That can be a consideration as well, especially if some of the
attendees live in areas of extreme temperatures. In the winter, visitors
from colder climates may want to bask in the relative warmth and take some
time for the aforementioned golf or other activities. If it’s the height
of summer, many may be looking for relief from that heat. Atlanta may not
be as exhausting as Phoenix, but you may still be looking for a complex
that has everything under one roof, so they don’t have to go out. What
will the quality of the catering be? Will the attendees want to take in
some local nightlife? What about availability? Longstanding reservations
for other gatherings may preclude a particular venue. It’s crucial to find
out about that before investing a lot of time planning for a convention
based upon a particular location.

If you do a great job, he’ll look great
and get the bulk of the credit for having been smart enough to hire you.
That might tempt you to do less than your best. A bit of self-preservation
is in ordeer here. Remember, if there are hitches in the giddyup, hiccups
or problems, he’s going to step back and graciously let you be broiled, so
even though he may take the lion’s share of the credit, you’ll still want
to make the best choices possible.

How do you know about the quality of a
facility? Start off with previous experiences, independent testimonials
and verifiable reviews. You may not be able to trust everything their
public relations department puts forward, no matter how often they may
swear it’s the Gospel truth. To some extent, you’re going to have to go by
Star ratings, but it’s a safe rule of thumb to deduct one star from all
but the most reliable of hotel chains with ratings under 4 stars. Then
when Murphy’s Law applies, you’ll still come out of it alright.

Planning a conference really can be a lot
of fun. You’ll know you’re talking to the right venues when they’re making
an effort to make your job easier, offering to handle details and arrange
for catering, assuring you that adding an extra 10 people will not be a
problem, that sort of thing. If you encounter a very rigid establishment,
it may be wise to keep on moving on down the list.

Make a point of putting on your best
Happy face before you pick up the phone to contact the venues, take a
minute to relax with your favorite non-alcoholic beverage, make a list of
essential requirements, no-nos, and options. Be sure, for example, to
provide vegetarian, Muslim and kosher meal choices and to ask the
attendees their preferences. Do a little homework and find out what
well-respected public golf courses maybe in the area, if the attendees are
interested in the game. Make sure the conference center has AV equipment
available. If they don’t, you’ll want to arrange for equipment rental and
a backup supplier in case that one proves unreliable. But with a little
planning, some investigation and a few days’ footwork, you’ll have your
boss walking on water in no time! Atlanta has plenty of facilities to
choose from. Now all you have to do is consult that list and find out
which of them is best for you!

How to
Gracefully Leave After a Seminar or Speech When Someone is Hogging Your
Time!

Meeting planners know the value of
meticulous planning. They are responsible for selecting and contracting
with the speaker, promoting the event, booking the hotel for the
speaker, arranging transportation for the speaker and ensuring that the
facilities are set up perfectly on the day of the seminar, writing and
presenting an introduction of the speaker. Whew! With so many advance
details to consider, it is no wonder that some meeting planners forget
one of the most important times for the speaker……how to graciously exit
after the speech!

Many big name
speakers who have been through this routine thousands of times before
have their agents arrange the contract carefully to arrange no more than
½ hour for a reception either before or after the speech. They know the
value of their time away from the crowds. It is the job of the meeting
planner to be the buffer and tell the fans that Mr. or Ms. Celebrity has
to catch a plane in 1 hour and has to be going. Most people respect that
and let the star move on. But what about the rest of the speakers? How
important is that time to them? And how can you tell whether or not the
speaker is thrilled about staying around chatting with curious audience
members, or dying to get the heck out of there and go to call their
spouse and talk to their kids?

As a former celebrity agent and now a
speaker myself, I have the advantage of coming from two perspectives.
The agents’ job is to convince the meeting planner to rush the star
home. As a speaker, I know the importance of spending some personal time
with the audience to reinforce the friendly and supportive speech I just
delivered…..up to a limit.

Recently I delivered workshops on
Public Speaking and Professional Coaching. In order to arrive at the
location, I had to get up several hours before my flight to fight
traffic to get to Newark airport one hour in advance. I had a transfer
planes in St. Louis after an hour layover. At 3:00 I arrived in the
desigated location, had to rent a car and drive and hour and ½ to the
hotel sight. You get the point. By the time the speaker arrives, he or
she could be tired and needs a bit of a rest before presenting.

The weekend was a huge success, but
immediately following the event, the meeting planner was no where to be
found. One of the audience members who was on a “high” from the weekend
wanted to share every last detail of her own life with me. While I tried
to maintain a certain amount of sincere interest, I was also so mentally
and physically exhausted because I had given every ounce of my heart and
soul to the participants during the weekend. At this point, I needed the
meeting planner to be my buffer and quickly move me on out of there.
But, I politely listened, and slowly walked out the door to my car, and
finally explained that I’d be available via email to continue the
conversation. With that, I tumbled into my car and excited the scene.

As a meeting planner, discuss the exit
routine with the speaker in advance. Do they like to hang around
afterwards to chat and if so, for how long? Do they want to create a
“code” that will alert the meeting planner that the speaker is ready to
go and should be shuffled out the door? Should it be announced in
advance of the talk that the speaker will have to catch a plane
immediately following the event and has to leave soon thereafter? Or as
a meeting planner friend of mine, explained after hosting the famous and
brilliant speaker Les Brown, that he had “performed so actively and
intensly on stage and had worked up such a sweat during his performance
that everyone understood his desire to exit!”

If you aren't working with an agent or
a meeting planner, the best bet is to announce the amount of time you'll
be spending after the seminar to address questions and answers. If you
know that 1/2 is as much as you can spare, then announce it up front so
no one will tie up all of your time. Additionally, give out your email
address and suggest that if you don't have time to talk with everyone,
suggest that they email you. Lastly, if you want to get the names and
addresses of everyone in attendance, invite the audience to see you
after the event for some free information. This is a great way to get
THEIR information without imposing.

Speakers need you to help them maintain
their positive image and caring attitude by helping them graciously exit
the floor when they are ready to go. Some speakers love the personal
contact for hours after the speech and have the energy to do so. Others
are ready to exit after a few brief moments. So next time you are
discussing the details before the event, be sure and discuss the best
attack for the inevitable and timely “exit routine” so your speaker goes
out loving the event instead of regretting it!

Mary Gardner , The Charisma Coach!
is an Executive Communications Consultant and Trainer. She works
with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and
celebrities. She owned and operated one of the first coaching
institutions on the east coast, CCI, in NYC, Philly and NJ. Mary
has appeared on ABC’s 20/20 and has self published a book on
public speaking. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5,
and lives in Orlando, FL.

Every event whether it’s a meeting, party,
seminar, conference, charity event, or your high school reunion will
have common threads regardless of what it is, where it’s held, when or
why it is happening. The following common threads are found in every
organized event. Make sure you plan each of the following steps
thoroughly and you are guaranteed success.

1. Plan Your Vision: Your vision is the
main reason and focus for having the event? It is a combination of your
goals and objectives.

2. Set the Goals and Objectives: A goal
is the general purpose of the event that provides a road map for the
planning process. An objective is a measurable, attainable target that
contributes to the accomplishment of the goal. An event can have one or
multiple goals and objectives.

3. Select a Site: Location, location,
location! Every event needs a site! Pick the location to match and
support your vision, goals and objectives.

4. Create Promotion/Marketing
Materials: You must get your message out. You need to get the basic
information to the right people in the right amount of time so they know
when to show up, where to go, and what to do when they get there. The
message could be as simple as the date, time, and location via the
telephone or as complicated as a multi page brochure for a multi-day
conference with numerous events combined in one event. Or perhaps some
major TV advertising and sophisticated website design for online
registration.

5. Identify Your Participants/ Guests:
Without them, you would not have an event. Whether they are invited
guests, paying participants or required attendees, people will be coming
to your event. Know your audience and target them carefully.

6. Create the Agenda/Timeline: Whether
it is written down or planned, every event has a timeline. There is
always a starting point and a finishing point. This is detail outline of
the activities. What is happening from hours before the participants
arrive to the follow-up when the event is complete. And it is the
schedule of what is actually happening throughout the event. The agenda
can be two types. The one the participant receives and follows and the
one that the people working the event receive and follow. This tells
people where to go, or what to do when you get there.

7. Establish a Budget: Money comes in
and goes out. With some events no obvious money will be coming in, such
as a wedding or company social. Create a budget nonetheless to make sure
not too much money goes out. For larger events, budgets are a must
especially when profit is one of you objectives. Without a budget it is
hard to set guidelines and measure results.

8. Select the Food and Beverage: It may
be a pitcher of water and mints at a one day seminar, a sit down dinner
for 10,000, an all day concert where vendors will be brought in to serve
the public, coffee and doughnuts at the morning sales meeting and/or
soda, cookies in the afternoon for an all day conference, or appetizers
served during a 3 hour cocktail party for 700 people. This is a wide and
general segment of an event and will vary widely depending on the
vision, goals, and objectives and of course, money.

9. Arrange for Transportation: You may
need to transport 800 people from 10 hotels to the meeting site twice a
day or it could be just getting yourself to the site on time. You may
need to arrange the travel needs for the entertainment, speakers, and
VIP’s, including picking them up at the airport. Or this may include
contracting with an airline for discount airfare or negotiating with
rental car companies for special rates to offer to your participants.

10. Hire Staff/Volunteers: This could
range from checking in your participants for your workshop, or 100’s of
volunteers at a conference or sporting event. It could be the caterers,
musicians, florists, cleanup crew, equipment setup, valets, ticket
takers, MC’s, speakers, or the balloon lady. It almost always takes more
than one person to successfully coordinate an event.

With 25 year experience in the event
planning industry Shannon Kilkenny has proved that with the
guidelines outlined in her book "The Complete Guide to Successful
Event Planning" anyone can plan or coordinate an event. Her book
is for the novice and experienced planner alike. Visit her site
http://www.successfuleventplanning.com

One Stop Shopping & CVB
Services
Let our experienced staff help you find the perfect spot for
your next meeting, convention or event! One phone call or
email can set into motion a successful event in Frisco! Our
services are free to you. You can also choose from our list of
convention centers to plan your meeting or any other event. If
you are facing problems while planning for an event, find our
meeting planner tools or you can always contact us direct at
877-Go Frisco.

To
research group hotel pricing and open dates, click here
- Provide us with your meeting specifications (fill out our
online RFP) and we'll send it to only those hotels in Frisco,
Texas that you choose and/or venues and return the bid
proposals back either directly to you or in a formal bid
packet.

- The Bureau staff can assist
in bid presentations to your Board of Directors, Site
Committee or General Membership for multiple hotel events -
Let us schedule and accompany you on your site inspection to
give you a true feel of Frisco hospitality! - Need assistance
with fun activities and venues for your delegates? Call our
expert meeting planners and we'll find an off-site venue or
one of several sporting events taking place during your event!

We can help you manage a
variety of tasks and projects including, event marketing,
event production, corporate meeting planning, conference
planning, event/meeting coordinator, and much, much more. You
define the event, choose a venue, and let us execute your
design. To select the venue, simply browse through our list of
convention centers, or hotels in Frisco, Texas. Our meeting
planners and organizers can translate your imaginations into a
successful event.

We ensure that you and your
guests receive the best service, and are left with great
lasting memories. Our dedication and commitment to our clients
is evident in everything we do. We create events with the
client's personal style in the details. All of the details
will be covered and everything will go perfectly.

The Frisco CVB can provide
you with our Official Visitors Guide for your attendees on
site. Find meeting planner tools or other hotels in Frisco,
Texas on our website.

As a nationally recognized
leader in Internet destination sales, marketing, and
successful Internet business models, Donovan Shia works
with the
Frisco CVB management team to lead their online
marketing efforts. A ten year industry veteran, Shia has
a history of planning, executing and delivering Internet
sales and revenue for companies like Microsoft and
Cendant. Shia's background in Internet business
development, tightly focused on city/regional models, is
the backbone of the CVBHotRates.com business model.

How To
Negotiate The Best Deal On The Hotel Room

It's important to talk to the
right person when trying to get a great deal, that means
someone who has the authority to negotiate with you. You can
ask to speak to the Sales Manager or if they have a dedicated
staff for meeting and event coordinating, speak to the manager
of that department. Remember to research comparable room
prices in the area online so that you'll have a good point of
reference to bring to the negotiation table. It does take some
advanced planning to get the best deals, but hotel room prices
are more flexible than the average person realizes.

Be aware of the seasons and try
to schedule your seminar during a time when the hotel's
business is typically slow. Getting a great room at a great
price will always be easier when the hotel isn't full. If
you're booking a block of rooms for seminar guests and
speakers in addition to the meeting room, you're also more
likely to get a better price for both. Several popular hotel
chains have extensive planning tools available online so be
sure to take advantage of the wealth of information made
available.

Once you've got a list of
possible venues together, you can start contacting the sales
department of each hotel and sending them your request for
proposal or RFP. Make sure your RFP includes preferred dates,
number and type of sleeping rooms you require, food and
beverage requirements, a tentative agenda and the amount of
meeting space that is needed. Based on the hotels' responses
to your RFP, you should be able to narrow down the field of
possibilities and schedule some site inspections. To save both
money and time, you can substitute an actual site inspection
with a detailed questionnaire, virtual tour or both!

When you start negotiations,
always remember that everything is negotiable. If the group
generates sufficient guestroom and food and beverage revenue,
the meeting room rental fees can and should be waived. If
you're planning a reoccurring event, you can also use your
loyalty as leverage.

Once you've weighed your
options and made your decision, make sure everything, big and
small, is outlined in explicit detail in the written contract.
Deposit procedures and acceptable methods of payment are two
things that should be agreed upon before you sign anything.

After the event, take your
time going over the invoice with a fine-toothed comb. The
first draft of the invoice from the hotel is almost never
correct so be sure to point out anything that needs to be
corrected. Get feedback about the hotel from the seminar
attendees. If there are complaints, politely let your hotel
representative know about them. Any good salesperson will
gladly offer an additional discount to ensure that you
consider them again next year.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best
Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent
Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning
Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success
Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful
Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips
Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at
http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or
http://promotingtips.com.

Have you ever wondered what the
real cost of mediocrity within your organization might be?
Sales managers must wake up! Has there ever been a time when a
mess-up by someone internally, proved to be quite costly in
both money/resources and time/energy? Has there been a time
when a mess-up by someone in your organization caused a huge
toll on an outsider, i.e. supplier or customer?

In the world of selling,
mediocrity can demand untold costs. In selling, there are
generally two categories: hunters and farmers. The hunters are
the sales people, both inside and outside, that specialize in
going after new business—their thrust is the hunt, bringing in
new customers. Farmers on the other hand specialize in
nurturing house accounts and business that the hunters have
brought in. Too often, organizations will settle for farmers
that are mediocre, or careless and don’t tend to their crops.
The prices businesses or organizations pay for allowing this
kind of behavior are truly unnecessary.

My first real job in outside
sales, other than selling encyclopedias door-to-door, was in
selling to retailers. The owner of the business, Ray Kahn,
once told me, “If you lose an account because you were out
sold, it’s okay. But, if you lose an account because you
weren’t paying attention to that account—you’re out of here!”
Several years later, I saw first-hand that he meant it. Ray
fired a hunter/farmer salesman, Mike that had been with him
for a decade. Unfortunate for all that were involved, Mike got
complacent and lazy, losing a major account because he wasn’t
paying attention to the needs of the customer.

When a farmer doesn’t pay
attention, it is an absolute travesty. Mike was an okay
hunter, but not a great farmer. This situation is not unusual.
If you manage sales people and you tolerate a farmer not
tending to their crops (accounts), I believe that you are just
as guilty as your farmer sales person. It is you, after all,
to whom they are accountable.

Not long ago, I traveled to
the American East Coast to speak on selling at a chapter of
the National Speakers Association (NSA), of which I am a
member in Los Angeles. This NSA chapter had been meeting at
the same suburban area hotel on the same Saturday of each
month for the previous three years. This particular Saturday
in January was to be different.

The “you know what” hit the
fan late Friday night. Following dinner that evening, my
contact with the group dropped me back at the hotel where I
was staying and where the meeting would be the next day. In
passing, she asked if I knew that I’d be presenting the next
morning in the hotel’s restaurant…during regular service
hours…to the public? Their usual meeting room had been booked
out from under them. Well, that was a surprise that was to me.

Three days earlier, when the
NSA Chapter’s program chair called the hotel to check if
everything was in place for their coming Saturday meeting, the
hotel sales contact, Lois, told the program chair that they
had no reservation for the group for the coming Saturday. And,
Lois told the program chair that the room they usually use,
along with every other meeting room and space in the hotel was
also sold out. Wow, what a predicament! Even worse, Lois
offered no possible solutions to a long-time customer.

The meeting chair asked Lois
how this could be? Especially since the group had been using
that meeting room the same Saturday of the month for the past
three years and had an on-going relationship. Lois answered by
stating that she thought it was odd that the organization had
not signed a contract for the coming year. Lois continued by
stating that since the hotel’s customers “call them” she
didn’t give it a second thought. Excuse me! If I was Lois’
boss, I’d do to her what Ray Kahn did to Mike—fire ‘em! There
is no excuse for this kind of behavior.

That farmer, Lois, definitely
was not tending her crops (accounts). Can you believe it?
Worse, the sales person was ignorant enough to state, “Our
customers call us.” She sold the room out from under this
group. Perhaps because the group to whom she sold the room was
generating higher revenue? Perhaps she was only mindful of her
commission check? Perhaps it was her way of telling this NSA
Chapter that they were no longer welcome at that property?

The Real Cost

What do you think might be
the real cost to the hotel from Lois’ debacle?

To the credit of the hotel’s
General Manager, late that Friday evening, I worked with him
and food & beverage (F&B) manager for over an hour looking at
possibilities to make the next day’s presentation work, even
though it was to be in the hotel’s restaurant, during service
hours to the general public. The hotel general manager
explained to me that he, and his staff had been working on the
problem for the past three days. They had even called other
hotels to try and move the meeting—but without success.

Let’s take a rough look at
the real cost to this hotel: A hotel general manager making
around $100,000 a year, working a six-day work week equates to
about $333 per working day. If we take into account that the
general manager, food & beverage manager, sales staff and
others had been dealing with the issue for three days and just
add up the general manager’s pay, that gives us about $1,000
cost to the hotel. I’m sure Lois’ commission on the sale of
the room and F&B was nowhere near that much.

Now let’s add in the damage
to both the national brand and that particular location. This
group happened to be a gathering of local-area professional
speakers. Since many are intimately familiar with hotels,
their expectations tend to be a bit higher than most. What
will they say to local meeting planners about this hotel? I
doubt it would be complimentary. If the approximately 50
professional speakers mention the situation to only one
meeting planner over the following year—that’s potentially 50
local meeting planners that have received a poor report about
this property. What’s the cost of that?

If only one of those 50
meeting planners decided not to book a meeting at that
property based on what they heard, how many thousands of
dollars would that property not receive in future revenue
because of Lois’ behavior? Let alone the tarnished perception
of this particular brand nationally could cost the chain
dollars. Surely it would be more that Lois’ commission on that
particular room, on that particular Saturday.

The Rest of The Story

This had been the second time
that this property, or should I say Lois, had pulled this kind
of situation on that particular NSA Chapter. As such, the
board of directors immediately decided to start looking for
another property at which to hold their monthly meetings. By
the next month’s meeting, the chapter had already found a new
home for their monthly meetings. That adds even more to the
real cost, as the revenue from the chapter was valuable to the
hotel during slow times.

Gosh, because that farmer,
Lois, was too unorganized, oblivious, lazy, apathetic,
ignorant or greedy, the real cost to the hotel’s productivity
and revenue was, and will continue to be, substantial. What
does this mean to you? In selecting and/or maintaining the
wrong people to represent your organization’s interests, you
will pay dearly for their impoverishment of skills.

Solutions

The TEA Master Key should
prove helpful. The three key areas necessary to explore in
serving your customers well are: Training, Ego and Attitude.

!. Training your employees
well is a given, the subtleties are in their understanding the
DNA of your organization’s culture and an advanced
understanding of how to most effectively use the “tools” that
you have made available to them. Understandably, this takes
time, but few companies devote the necessary hours to this
endeavor. And, if your employees are not continually learning,
you must re-examine the limited value they deliver to your
organization.

2. Ego is good, when kept in
check, allowing one to be confident, yet not arrogant.
Unfortunately, too many employees let their ego get in the way
of their performance, i.e. too much ego that they never admit
a mistake. Mistakes are good, if one learns from their
mistake. Years ago, Ray Kahn would say, “If you are not making
mistakes, you are not learning, and I don’t need you. But, if
you do not learn from your mistakes, I don’t need you either.”
Other ego issues revolve around one’s need to be right! In
serving customers, it is more important to get things done,
than to focus on being right.

3. Attitude can make, or
break, an employee and a customer’s perception of your
organization’s value proposition. Employees with an attitude
of apathy are like termites eating away at the fiber of your
organization and one day that fiber that holds your
organization together will give fail. On the other hand,
employees with the attitude of service, not servitude,
flourish and with them so does your organization. Give your
employees plenty of reasons to have superior attitudes—it will
serve you well.

Adapted from Rigsbee's
forthcoming book titled, Customer Service Screw
Ups--Learn from the Mistakes of Others. In this book,
Rigsbee rants about the crummy customer service he has
received and offers suggestions on how you can truly
partnering with your customers.

Ed Rigsbee, CSP is the
author of PartnerShift, Developing Strategic Alliances
and The Art of Partnering. Rigsbee has over 1,000
published articles to his credit and is a regular
keynote presenter at corporate and trade association
conferences across North America. He can be reached at
800-839-1520,
ed@rigsbee.com, or visit
http://www.rigsbee.com.

Renting your spare room out to a
lodger is a good option to help pay for your mortgage.

Following are certain tips that
can help you to get most from renting a room:

• It is advisable to meet the
person before renting a room. A short introductory meeting
with the person can help you in deciding whether or not you
would get on with the person.

• This introductory meeting
offers you an opportunity to ask relevant questions such as
those regarding their spouse, family, job profile, working
hours, other habits, etc.

If you do not meet the person
before renting a room, you might have to regret later. If you
find difficult to get on with that person at a later stage, it
might get difficult and embarrassing for you to get rid of him
at that time.

• Clear ground rules should
be set right from the start. For instance, if you do not want
the lodger to allow people for an overnight stay in his room,
state the same at the outset. If you want the lodger to
refrain from smoking or taking alcohol inside the house, make
your point clear in the very beginning to avoid issues later
on.

• However, it is advisable to
be patient and tolerant of small things. You are being paid by
the lodger and constantly enforcing small rules can make it
less harmonious to live with a new person.

Bear in mind that the income
from renting can help you pay your mortgage and therefore, you
cannot afford to let the current lodger leave. Searching for a
new lodger who would hopefully abide by the rules and
regulations set by you, will lead to wastage of time and
money.

• It is good to have a
written agreement signed. A sample contract agreement can be
obtained online. Do not rely on verbal agreements. They are
legally invalid. The written agreement should include a
statement about stipulation of monthly income, and how much
notice is required to break the agreement on either side.

• Advertising plays a major
role while renting a house. Advertise in the best selling
newspapers, best places as well as online.

• Finalize a fair market
value after carefully analyzing the market rent. Do not be
greedy, or else, it will become difficult to find a lodger. If
you fail to get a tenant, you will lose the rent money.

• On the other hand, if you
manage to find a good tenant, you will not only get then rent
money but also an opportunity to make a new friend.

To conclude, as the people
you live with greatly influence the quality of life, it is
always advisable to wait patiently till you get a suitable
lodger to move in.

You open your email to find a notice about
an upcoming seminar or workshop on a topic you desperately want to learn
more about.

Later that day, you
get the mail and there's a postcard inviting you to the same workshop.

"Should I go?" you think.

"It's expensive, I'll have to pay for
airfare and hotel, but I'll learn *so much* and will really be able to
propel my business forward," you say to yourself.

After much wrangling between those two
guys that sit on each of your shoulders, you decide to go for it. You
tell your clients you'll be gone, you buy the plane tickets, book the
hotel, pay the workshop fee and you're excited!

The day finally arrives. You can hardly
wait. You get a seat and wait for things to start.

By the second hour, your head is
brimming with ideas while your stomach is full of coffee. You
desperately want a break and can't focus on anything else.

The break comes and goes and now you
are starved. "WHEN is lunch anyway?" you hear yourself asking your
neighbor.

After wolfing down something which the
hotel is convinced passes for food, it's back to the workshop. Now the
carb crash comes and you need a nap -- the speaker is very interesting,
but hey, you're getting the seminar CDs and will catch up on anything
you miss then.

Does this sound familiar? I've been to
three workshops/seminars in the past two months and have watched this
scenario unfold for HUNDREDS of people -- again and again.

It's critical you have a system in
place to insure you get the most out of each and every seminar and
workshop you attend -- after all, you're spending your money AND time
attending.

1. Bring a notepad.

Insure you have either a notepad or
notebook dedicated ONLY to "Action List" items.

This is not a "To Do" list -- "to do"
lists sound like work and generally lower your energy. This is an
"Action" list -- completing these items will propel your business
forward.

Personally, I put a small box next to
each item that I can check off as it's completed. I don't number them as
these are not in priority order. The order is based on when the item
pops into my head.

2. Bring a notebook.

You should have ONE notebook for ALL
your seminars and workshops. This is for your "Notes" -- if the
presenter provides you with a handout of his presentation, GREAT, you
can take notes directly on it.

If not, however, you'll want to keep
all your notes in this notebook -- start the section with the seminar
name, location and date and note each speaker's name and presentation
title and any notes from it.

Notes, NOT action list items. . .action
items go on your Action List. It's important to keep them separate so
you don't need to search through pages of notes for your action items.

Always remember: It's not what you
know that matters; it's what you IMPLEMENT!

3. Bring plenty of business cards.

You'll be amazed at how many people
forget to bring business cards with them when attending workshops.

Always insure you have plenty of cards
with your current information and, preferably, a picture of you on it.
We meet so many people at seminars; you want to insure people remember
you when going through their new stack of cards at home.

4. Take a day.

If possible, take a day or 1/2 day when
you get home to unpack, get back in the swing of things and take a good
look at your Action List.

Are there items which can be done in 10
minutes or less? If so, identify those items and schedule an hour for
each group of 5 activities over the next week (this allows a little
extra time). This will insure you make steady progress soon after the
seminar.

Do you have bigger projects? No sweat,
break them down into smaller chunks -- 30 minutes at most -- and
schedule them on your calendar.

By scheduling these activities *on your
calendar*, you'll have a start and end time for getting them done and
insuring you got the most out of your time at the workshop.

5. Follow-up

Chances are you've met new friends and
potential clients.

Now's the time to drop them a brief
note and let them know you're happy to have met them and follow-up with
any information you may have promised.

And, remember, if appropriate for you,
thank the speaker for the seminar and all you learned.

Your Coaching Challenge

Your coaching challenge for this week
is to prepare a "Seminar Toolbag" which includes a notepad, notebook,
business cards, two pens and anything else you may need.

Here's what's in my Toolbag (a bag I
take to all seminars) in addition to the above: granola bars, lip balm,
post-its, tissues, peppermint patties, a digital camera and since I'm
not a coffee drinker, my favorite tea bags.

Sandra Martini, the Automatic
Business Coach, and award-winning author teaches small business
owners how to implement processes and systems designed to take
them out of the day-to-day running of their business. For more
information and to receive her FREE e-course/audio series, "5
Quick & Easy Ways To Put Your Marketing on Autopilot", visit
http://www.SandraMartini.com

A Great
Example on How to Get Repeat Customers

During a recent holiday break the family
and I went to a great hotel near Mombasa in Kenya. With 4 young kids the
attraction was that the facilities were all-inclusive so constant
requests for ice-creams etc were not a problem! So what was so great
about it?

Well I’m always on the
look out for examples of great and poor business models and ideas, so
here’s the key thing that stood out … the huge number of people who had
been there before. One couple I spoke to had been there for the last
seven years in a row with their children.

For the hotel and any other business
getting repeat customers like this is akin to striking gold – no
marketing or recruitment costs – just pure profit. And no doubt their
clients spread the word amongst their friends so again no marketing cost
for the hotel.

What was this hotel doing right that
you can apply to your business to encourage repeat business?

1. It’s a very child-friendly hotel -
leave your kids at the Kids Club which had activities all day. They have
spotted that family-oriented hotels will always have an edge, so they
built the business and customer experience around that idea. They have
spotted a niche and do everything they can to satisfy that market.
Result? My kids loved it so much it’s clear that this is the only place
they want to go. The hotel has done its job!

2. They make it feel like home – as we
drove through the hotel gates the driver who picked us up from the
airport said ‘Welcome home!’ Just think, even the lowly driver knew that
the hotel’s philosophy is to make sure everyone feels they belong to a
big family. How good are your employees at passing on your core message
or values?

3. Staff recognized and warmly greeted
repeaters – in many cases staff clearly knew people’s names and as a
minimum recognized faces. They treated these people as long lost
friends. How do your employees treat regular clients? Warmly or with
indifference?

4. They create a feeling of community –
repeat clients get tee-shirts with the hotel name and year printed on it
and people wore them with pride. Not my personal taste but it clearly
made most people feel very happy. The children were not forgotten
either. Every activity they took part in at the Kids Club was rewarded
with a points voucher which could be redeemed at the hotel shop. Do you
give gifts to repeat customers by way of a thank you?

5. They reward repeaters with a 10%
discount – a great way to encourage people to come back and another way
of saying ‘thanks for your business’. Do you offer repeat business
discounts?

6. And finally, all backed up with
great food and great service.

These are all simple things which you
can introduce very quickly to any business. Getting repeat business is a
powerful way to boost sales and profits so starting thinking about how
you can encourage customers to become life-long customers.

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When deciding what hotel to book your
seminar at, you should always remember that price isn't the only
consideration. If you're on a tight budget, then price may be the most
important negotiating point, but don't forget to inquire about what
you'll actually get for your money.

Some hotels include things like self-serve
water and coffee service, while others will charge extra for these
amenities. Food and beverage is far and away the largest expense item in
associations' convention budgets. According to Convene's Annual Meetings
Market Survey, food and beverage accounts for more than 25 percent of
budgets, more than double the total spent on marketing/promotion and
nearly triple the amount allocated for audio-visual equipment. To keep
costs down, you may opt for guests to have lunch on their own. Be sure
to ask the hotel for a list of local restaurants within walking
distance. Most hotels have brochures like this already printed so just
make sure to have plenty on hand at your registration table. Better yet,
if there's a restaurant in the hotel, ask for a copy of the menu so you
can send it to your guests with their seminar confirmation. The hotel
should have a copy of the seminar's itinerary so that they know when
each of the breaks is scheduled. This will ensure that any beverages or
snacks are replenished in advance. Of course, speakers can run long and
others might be delayed at the airport so it's important to make the
hotel staff aware of any deviations from the original schedule.

If you need to borrow audio visual
equipment from the hotel, make sure you get detailed descriptions of
each piece of equipment, as well as a clear pricing schedule. You should
know exactly what equipment is needed for each of your speaker's
presentations and make sure that the hotel will be able to furnish a
functioning backup, just in case.

Some hotels will also provide IT
maintenance and Secretarial services. If you've ever had to sit through
a seminar plagued with technical problems, you probably already realize
how valuable these services can be. When your keynote speaker steps up
the podium and starts fumbling around with his laptop trying to get that
PowerPoint presentation open, it becomes apparent that not all great
speakers are technically savvy.

Don't forget about all of the little
things the seminar attendees may need, such as high-speed internet
access for their laptops, active phone outlets and plenty of extra pens
and pencils. Hopefully, there is also a dedicated business center and
copy room in the hotel. Make sure you and your guests know exactly where
it is.

Hotels will be more willing to
negotiate with you if you show loyalty when considering a meeting place
for future events. If you're making this an annual or quarterly event,
by all means say something during negotiations! However, be wary of
signing long-term contracts with any one hotel, particularly if there's
a stiff penalty for cancellation. You'll receive the best service and
the best rates when the hotels are competing for your business.

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Travel is a growing industry that offers
many exciting careers. Lodging is one of the largest employers in the
travel industry and offers many educational, internship and
certification opportunities for professionals pursuing a career in
hotels. Hotel employees can rise to management through formal education
requiring degrees in management or through vocational training followed
up by experience.

Hotel Management Programs

An AHM, associate degree in hotel
management, takes around 18 months to complete from a standard hotel or
motel management school. After completing this course successfully,
graduates with an AHM degree are eligible to work with any large or
small company around the world in an entry-level management post with
hotels, motels, and restaurants. Hotel management students will have
communications, general studies, and English as their combination
subjects while taking up a business course in hotel management. Most
hotel management schools also provide hands-on experience and practical
projects for their students.

A BHM, Bachelor of Hotel Management
degree, can be ideal for those seeking advancement in their already
established careers in hotel management. By obtaining a BHM, students
will be prepared for moving towards the higher levels of the industry in
specialized areas such as business accounting, food and beverage
services, accommodations, marketing hospitality services, and human
resources among others.

An MHM, Master of Hotel and Motel
Management degree, offers specialization in marketing, entrepreneurship,
operations management, information systems management, and real estate
and investment. The MHM degree in any of these areas can surely
facilitate the students in appearing for and achieving higher-level
positions in the hotel and motel management Industry.

An MS, Master of Science Program, takes
about 12 to 18 months to allow hospitality professionals to continue
their careers in an academic or research setting.

The CTE courses in Hospitality
Management, Hospitality Services and Hotel/Motel Marketing offer
certification from National Occupational Competency Testing Institute
and the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Responsibilities

Managers are responsible for every
aspect of the hotel, including customer service, food quality, catering,
and hotel supplies. The manager also looks after the scheduling and
conference planning, valet and transportation services and all other
special services provided to the esteemed guests and visitors.
Therefore, the manager has a key role and responsibility in keeping up
to the name and reputation of the hotel or motel by managing the rest of
the staff efficiently. The responsibility of hiring, training, and
supervising other members of the staff is given to an assistant manager
who co-ordinates with the general manager. He also schedules working
shifts and assigns duties to his subordinates. Writing reports,
negotiating with the vendors, and coordinating various events also come
under the supervision of assistant managers.

Facilities

Hotel and motel management
professionals enjoy discount rates in travel and lodging amenities. This
can be especially attractive for those who love traveling. Besides,
though the initial stage may require a lot of struggle and hard work,
once you have reached a higher position, you may earn a lot of money as
perks excluding your regular salary. Additionally, the hotel industry is
commonly associated with a lot of glamor, which also attracts many
students to select hotel management as their career. The job itself
involves some general facilities such as lodging, food, parking,
laundry, and other services. Additionally, some hotels even provide
educational assistance and profit sharing plans to their employees.

Ranks & Salaries

The different managerial positions in a
hotel or motel start from executive housekeepers to front office
managers, food and beverage manager, and convention service manager.
These are all ranks of an assistant manager who co-ordinates with the
general manger. The salaries of the mangers depend on the responsibility
and segment of the hotel they work for. Overall, it is quite a lucrative
Industry with opportunities of earning up to 25% bonus on the basic
salaries.

Job Requirements

The initial phase of your career can be
quite hectic, and you might need to clean dishes and do other similar
chores. The job involves a lot of patience, energy, good communication
skills, and quick wittedness to tackle difficult situations, and
handling different customers. There is no specific work schedule as the
hotel industry works around the clock.

An event planner who helps brides and
grooms plan their special day is called a wedding consultant, wedding
planner, wedding coordinator or a bridal consultant. This planner
specializes in planning weddings professionally.

Using a wedding consultant to plan your
wedding day had always been viewed as a luxury that only the rich and
famous enjoyed. This is not so much the case anymore and the number of
people using wedding planners continues to rise every day.

Planning a wedding can be like a full
time job if a bride decides to go it alone. This type of event involves
a lot of time with so much to learn and do and often not enough time to
do it all. This event planner has to be highly organized and always
knows what to do if things go wrong. He/she knows exactly who to contact
when the need arises.

A professional wedding planner has to
be extremely creative by nature. He or she also needs to have a very
good sense of style and know what trends are current and which ones are
outdated. The event planner also needs to have a personality that
connects well with clients in order to understand them and to have a
clear picture of their personal and specific needs for their special
day.

A good event planner has lots of
connections with the best vendors and works at getting his/her client
the best value for their money. There is usually a budget to maintain
and endless details tailored to the bride and groom. A wedding planner
can also save the bride and groom a lot of money as well as time. This
is because they usually know which vendors are reasonably prized and the
quality of work involved. The event planner is usually in a better
position to negotiate and get discounts from vendors they have worked
with before.

Event planners will help their clients
avoid disasters at their functions because they oversee all of the
operations of the day to the last detail. Should there be an emergency
at the event, the planner is usually better prepared to deal with the
crisis rather than having the client try to figure out what to do.

The costs involved in hiring such a
professional may be surprisingly affordable given the amount of details
they have to work with. Planners also tailor their cost according to the
client's budget and help them to stay within their budget.

Without a wedding planner on hand, many
brides and grooms run themselves ragged as the wedding day approaches.
Some couples have even complained of not enjoying their wedding day
because of the stress. An event planner comes in handy at this point
because the couple has nothing to worry about since all the details are
taken care of. The end result of having an event planner or a wedding
consultant, in this case, is well worth it. The clients end up with a
stress free day and they are able to enjoy every moment of their special
occasion.

If you know that you want to hold a
business event but just aren't sure where to start on the whole thing,
here are some event ideas that might lead you in the right direction.

Event ideas can be as diverse as the
companies and businesses that hold the events themselves. The first
thing to think about when choosing what sort of company event to hold is
what your reason for having the event is. Depending on the type of
information you want to get out – a new business venture, a new product,
a promotion – you can decide what sort of event will get your
information out in the best way possible.

One of the best company event ideas out
there is to hire a company event planner. While planning an event
yourself might seem easy at first, the logistics of making sure
everything will go off without a hitch can often be more than just one
person can handle. A company event planner can make sure that you get
the right location, food, entertainment and more for your event without
having to go and shop around for all of these things by yourself. They
can often give you great ideas of what will work for your event and what
will not, and whether or not an idea that you have is feasible.

Other ideas can come from looking at
previous company events. Take a look at the other events held by
competing companies or businesses, and see how well they worked. Take
the good ideas from these events, and avoid anything that seemed to be
too complicated or unfriendly for the audience. Remember that you don't
want to exactly copy any other company's event, but you can definitely
take ideas from events that are already passed. Also look back at your
company and their own events, and make sure you don't repeat what has
already been done.

Finally, company event ideas can be had
in many places that are great resources for all event planners – such as
books, magazines and the Internet. Look around, there are ideas
everywhere. Themes can evolve around the core message of your event, or
they can be totally separate and wacky. You can choose to stick to ideas
that are tried and true, such as sit down dinners and classic parties,
or you can start your own event traditions with picnics and concerts.
Many planners get their inspiration from tons of different sources.

Business event ideas are all around –
and there are many good themes and ideas to choose from. Picking one for
your next event should be a piece of cake, if you take the time to
carefully think about the event.

Meeting planners who negotiate
successfully all have one thing in common: They know the value of their
meeting from the hotel’s perspective. All too often, planners make the
mistake of assuming that because their annual convention is valuable to
their organization, it must be valuable to the property. But that’s not
always the case.

Remember that a
piece of business is only valuable to a hotel if it provides profit —
maximum profit, if possible. (The value of your meeting drops, for
example, if any other group wants the same dates and is willing to pay a
higher room rate or provide more food and beverage revenue.) So be sure
to thoroughly analyze every aspect of your event — just the way a hotel
sales manager would. The result will be power and confidence at the
negotiating table. Here are seven major areas to consider in your
analysis:

1. Corporate or Association Influence

Corporate meetings can be more
attractive to hotels than association meetings for several reasons. For
starters, they’re typically short-term and yield a higher average daily
rate. Corporations also usually spend more on food and beverage than
associations and are much better at estimating their room pickup since
attendance is often mandatory.

On the other hand, corporations tend to
cancel their meetings more frequently. Associations rarely cancel
because their bylaws generally require them to convene once a year and
their annual meetings are, more often than not, their biggest
revenue-generating events of the year. In addition, association meetings
are often booked many years out, allowing hotels to forecast future
years much better. An association’s annual meeting also can offer more
guest room nights — a hotel’s largest profit area.

2. Number of Room Nights

You may think that the more room nights
you can offer a hotel, the stronger your negotiating leverage will be.
But that’s not necessarily a given. More important than the number of
room nights is how those room nights fit into the business mix of the
hotel. The transient market has been on the rise for the past several
years, resulting in an overall drop in the number of rooms committable
for the group market. So, in certain instances, a large meeting may
actually be too large for a particular property’s group block allotment.

Fortunately, the number and variety of
mid-range hotels geared toward the transient market (Courtyard by
Marriott, Fairfield Inns, Hilton Garden Inn, etc.) is also on the rise,
which means group room blocks are slowly inching their way back up
again.

3. Season

Most properties have three seasons.
During high season, hotels typically have occupancy rates of 90 percent
or better and, as a result, have little incentive to be flexible and
make rate concessions. During shoulder season, occupancy rates usually
fall between 70 percent and 89 percent, giving you a bit more
negotiating power. You have the most bargaining leverage in low season,
when occupancy dips below 70 percent and properties are pretty much
willing to “do whatever it takes” to book the business. (Low season
conditions also can occur when a hotel is hit with a short-term
cancellation and needs to fill the hole quickly.)

A hotel’s seasons most often correspond
with the seasons of the year. In Florida, for example, winter is high
season and summer (especially August) is low season. But a hotel’s
“seasons” also correspond with the days of the week. At most downtown
and airport hotels, for instance, high season is Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday; off season is Friday and Saturday; and shoulder season is
Sunday and Monday.

At resorts, high season is generally
dictated by the weather and its relationship to the resort’s recreation
focus. May through September could be high season at a midwestern
resort, low season at a desert resort, and shoulder season at a ski
resort. (In gaming destinations like Las Vegas, weekends are high season
and weekdays are shoulder season.) And if you meet over a holiday, you
are definitely in low season at most hotels.

4. Food and Beverage

Food and beverage has gone from being a
break-even line item for hotels in the ’70s and early ’80s to their
second-largest profit center. So the more F&B revenue you can offer a
property, the more valuable your piece of business becomes. Using
post-convention reports, calculate exactly how much your meeting is
worth to the hotel in terms of food and beverage dollars. Don’t forget
to include “hidden” revenues from affiliated groups, hospitality suites,
exhibit floor concessions, and other trackable revenues that a hotel may
be able to provide. After tallying up these miscellaneous sources of
revenue, you may discover that you have more negotiating clout than you
initially thought.

5. Space Requirements

Ideally, the amount of meeting space
you need to book should be proportionate to the number of rooms you need
to block. If you’re blocking 100 rooms in a 500-room hotel, but require
all of the function space, for example, your event is not going to be
perceived as valuable because it leaves the property with no space to
sell to another group. If you find yourself in this position, look for
ways to reduce your space requirements. Perhaps you can use your general
session room for lunch. Or maybe you really don’t need 16 concurrent
breakout sessions.

6. Pattern

Your arrival/departure pattern should
fit into the group pattern of the hotel — historically Sunday to
Wednesday or Wednesday to Sunday. If your convention falls into one of
these time frames, its value automatically increases. If you want to
arrive on Tuesday and depart on Saturday, however, its value
significantly decreases since the property would most likely have to
break apart a standard date pattern before and after your meeting.

7. Opportunities for Ancillary Revenues

The more opportunities you create for
your attendees to spend money, the greater the value of your business to
a hotel. Properties in gaming destinations love to see open afternoons
and evenings. Resorts want your attendees to utilize their spa, golf
course, and other extras. If your program runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
the hotel knows those facilities will not be utilized. Other areas to
consider are in-house service providers such as a destination management
company or audio-visual company, which typically give a portion of their
revenues to the property.

Once you have a handle on the true
value of your meeting to the hotel, you are ready to negotiate. Begin by
compiling two lists: one of your needs (items that are not negotiable)
and one of your wants (items that you would like to augment your event).
An example of “needs” might be a specific number of guest rooms, a rate
no higher than $140 a night, a general session room that seats 1,500
people, and 12 breakout rooms accommodating 200 people each
theater-style. Your “wants” might include a complimentary breakfast for
your board of directors, limo transportation for your keynote speaker,
and six suite upgrades. Always negotiate your needs first. If the hotel
can’t meet these basic requirements, move on to the next property on
your list. When negotiating your wants, remember that the hotel has to
turn a profit. Your “wish list” should be reasonable, based on the value
of your meeting, and not so extensive that the hotel decides to take
another piece of business over yours. Also keep in mind the three main
factors that come into play when negotiating with a hotel or any other
supplier: 1) time, 2) information, and 3) power.

Time

Recognize time as an investment. Don’t
expect to select the site for your next meeting in a day. (There may be
times when your meeting fits well into the first destination you call,
but don’t expect this to happen often.) Expect to invest a significant
amount of time researching various destinations and properties as well
as analyzing the value of your meeting. Only then will you be able to
negotiate successfully. Listen for key indicators to get the upper hand.
Every salesperson has performance goals. So if a hotel sales manager
indicates a sense of urgency by saying, “I could really use the contract
back by the end of the week” or “What is it going to take to get this
done by the 26th?,” it most likely means that he needs your piece of
business to meet a quota or secure his performance bonus. As a result,
those few remaining contract points or concessions that you still
haven’t obtained may be in reach if you can address the hotel’s need to
close the deal quickly.

Remember, this works in reverse too. If
you are behind schedule in selecting a site for your annual convention
and tell the sales manager that you need to sign a contract by the end
of the week, don’t expect to close the conversation and be successful
with: “And by the way, can I have three more dollars off the rate and
six limo transfers?”

You set the clock. Don’t allow time to
become your enemy. Never begin the process of negotiations or allow
someone else to force you into a scenario where, due to lack of time,
you agree to unfavorable terms just to get it done. At the same time,
don’t draw the process out once you have a fair agreement.

Concessions are made when time is
running out. A sales manager has no added incentive to make concessions
at the start of the negotiation process when he knows you are looking at
seven cities and 21 hotels. He does have incentive, however, when he is
one of three finalists and this is the last shot at earning your
business…and if he thinks you may walk away from the negotiating table
if your requests aren’t met. Very few hotels, after all, are willing to
lose an important piece of business based on two suite upgrades or not
wanting to provide a complimentary newspaper delivery.

Information

Know their business. Before you can
sell the hotel on the value of your meeting, you need to know how the
hotel makes its money and what its “hot buttons” are. (Did you know, for
example, that the profit margin on hotel rooms can be 70 percent or
more, food can be in the low 20-percent area, and beverages are over 70
percent?) Only then can you show the strengths of your meeting and how
it fills the hotel’s needs. Ultimately, only meeting planners who
provide the best historical data on their events that address the
overall value of their meeting to the hotel get the best deals. Know
your meeting. A sales manager who has been in the industry for six
months may not be familiar with your organization or understand the
significance of your piece of business. As a result, it’s up to you to
continually prove the worth of your meeting.

Power

Volume. The more business you can give
the hotel, the more negotiating power you have. If you can book two
meetings — the annual convention and perhaps a board of directors
meeting, for example — you will have more leverage than a planner
looking at the same dates who can only offer the property one event. If
you know you have or can influence multi-year bookings or multiple
meetings, bring these to the negotiating table.

Competition. If a sales manager thinks
there’s no competition, there’s no reason to offer you the best possible
rate or make any other concessions. On the other hand, if a hotel knows
it’s competing against two or three properties, it will be much more
likely to sharpen its pencil to offer you the best deal possible. If too
many hotels are in the final running, however, a property will be less
likely to compete aggressively.

Flexibility. The ability to be flexible
automatically puts you in a position of power. If you can change your
dates slightly, add another food and beverage function, live without
24-hour holds on all meeting space, or switch from classroom to
theater-style seating, you may very well boost the value of your piece
of business.

The ability to walk away. Even when
both parties have done everything they can to attempt to create a
win/win situation, you may still find yourself short of your negotiation
goals. You must be willing to walk away. Remember, every hotel has a
“walk-away rate” as well.